Military Watch Magazine

U.S. Air Force Undecided on New F-16 Procurements as F-35 Continues to Fall Short

The U.S. Air Force does not expect to decide whether to purchase newly built F-16 fighters for at least another year, despite concerns over an ageing fleet and the need to expand its combat aircraft inventory. Lieutenant General David Tabor, the service’s deputy chief of staff for plans and programs, said on October 20 that acquiring new F-16s was not an urgent priority, although the service recognised the need to prepare for the retirement of older aircraft during the 2030s. The deliberations come as the Air Force seeks to increase its combat-coded fighter inventory to 1,509 aircraft by 2035, up from 1,168 at the beginning of fiscal year 2026. The F-16 is by far the lightest and least costly fighter type in production in the United States, and is currently being built exclusively for export.