Discretionary Spending
Function 050 - National Defense
Replace the Joint Strike Fighter Program With F-16s and F/A-18s
CBO periodically issues a compendium of policy options (called Options for Reducing the Deficit) covering a broad range of issues, as well as separate reports that include options for changing federal tax and spending policies in particular areas. This option appears in one of those publications. The options are derived from many sources and reflect a range of possibilities. For each option, CBO presents an estimate of its effects on the budget but makes no recommendations. Inclusion or exclusion of any particular option does not imply an endorsement or rejection by CBO.
Billions of dollars | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2015-2019 | 2015-2024 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Change in Spending | |||||||||||||
Budget authority | 0 | -4.9 | -4.7 | -4.9 | -5.0 | -3.5 | -4.7 | -4.4 | -4.5 | -4.4 | -19.5 | -41.0 | |
Outlays | 0 | -1.0 | -2.1 | -3.0 | -3.8 | -4.2 | -4.4 | -4.3 | -4.3 | -4.3 | -9.9 | -31.4 |
Note: This option would take effect in October 2015. Estimates of savings displayed in the table are based on the fiscal year 2015 Future Years Defense Program and the Congressional Budget Office’s extension of that program.
The Department of Defense (DoD) has ordered 179 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters and plans to purchase 2,264 more. Under this option, DoD would cancel the F-35 program and instead purchase the most advanced versions of fighter aircraft already in service. The Air Force would acquire 1,763 Lockheed Martin F-16s, and the Navy and Marine Corps would buy 680 Boeing F/A-18s.