[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 28 (Wednesday, February 13, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S1311-S1312]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                     Maintaining Air Force Strength

  Mrs. FISCHER. Madam President, I rise today to support the Air 
Force's plan to expand the 386 operational squadrons.
  Since the earliest days of flight, the United States has been an 
aviation leader. From the time of the U.S. Army Air Corps through 
today's modern U.S. Air Force, our Nation has always been at the 
forefront of air combat.
  From air-to-air combat to aerial refueling, to the intelligence, 
surveillance, and reconnaissance conducted by the planes of Nebraska's 
own 55th Wing, the U.S. Air Force is renowned as the dominant force in 
the sky.
  Recent developments have put that advantage at risk. Around the 
world, nations are rapidly modernizing their capabilities by investing 
millions in their air forces and air defenses, threatening our ability 
to claim and maintain air superiority.
  Rapid advances in anti-access/area-denial technology and a 
coordinated, calibrated effort by nations like China and Russia pose a 
significant threat to our ability to operate in contested airspace.
  For decades, we have been accustomed to flying unconstrained, 
fighting adversaries on the ground that lack modern technology and the 
ability to seriously threaten our freedom to conduct aerial missions.
  The face of 21st century warfare is changing. Competitors are rapidly 
closing the gap, and while our Air Force remains the most professional 
and effective air combat force in the world, these nations are pouring 
hundreds of millions of dollars into matching and exceeding our 
capability.
  We have a choice. If we fail to react, we risk falling behind and 
losing the air dominance that has been essential to U.S. national 
security for decades. We cannot sit back and accept that possibility.
  We must meet this challenge head-on. The United States must adapt, 
invest, and show the world that we will never cede control of the skies 
to our enemies.
  Recently, the Air Force conducted a rigorous analysis of future air 
combat

[[Page S1312]]

scenarios that we could face in the coming decades. Utilizing over 
2,000 simulations based on the latest intelligence to assess force 
performance against strategic competitors, the Air Force produced a 
model of the requirements necessary to fulfill the goals of the 
national defense strategy.
  This analysis found that we will need an array of advanced 
capabilities to counter ongoing and robust military modernization by 
our competitors. The assessment determined that we must focus our own 
modernization around several key areas to ensure our continued ability 
to defend the homeland and to defeat strategic threats.
  Perhaps most critically, this analysis, which the Air Force calls 
``the Air Force We Need,'' has determined that to be effective in 
achieving these goals, we must grow the Air Force to 386 operational 
squadrons.
  Given the growing threats we face, the Air Force will play a key role 
in any future conflict. That is why I believe it is imperative that we 
act on this analysis and align the necessary resources to bridge the 
gap between the Air Force we have and the Air Force we need and reach 
that goal of 386 squadrons.
  The need to grow the Air Force is not some arbitrary desire for more 
planes. The reality is that, even today, our Air Force is too small, 
and it is stretched too thin to properly execute all of its missions.
  Right now, the Air Force has 39 percent fewer aircraft and 58 percent 
fewer combat-coded fighter squadrons than it did during Operation 
Desert Storm, and it is struggling to maintain a rapidly aging fleet. 
All the while, Russia and China continue to invest hundreds of millions 
of dollars into new technology and equipment that is designed to seize 
control of the sky.
  That is why it is imperative that we act to provide the resources 
necessary to grow to 386 operational squadrons. We simply cannot face 
these challenges with one of the smallest Air Forces we have ever had. 
That is a recipe for disaster. It is a recipe for defeat.
  Instead, we must rebuild the fleet. We must increase flying hours, 
improve training, add pilots and maintainers, and retain the best 
airmen we have. We have to act now, without delay.
  While the ``Air Force We Need'' adds significantly to the physical 
capability of our Air Force, it is about more than simply adding 
equipment to the flight line. This plan will also modernize the way we 
fight. With an increased focus on ``jointness'' and integration with 
advanced technology like unmanned systems and artificial intelligence, 
we can continue adapting to stay ahead of our enemies, all of whom have 
spent years watching and learning from us in the field.
  As a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, I commend 
the Air Force for putting forward a bold vision for the future. I 
believe if we truly are to execute the goals of the national defense 
strategy, this is the kind of analysis and planning that has to happen, 
and it must be followed by action from Congress.
  That is why I urge my colleagues in the Senate to join me in 
supporting a robust defense budget and investing in the enhanced 
capability the Air Force needs to continue its mission of protecting 
the American people.
  At this critical juncture in the Nation's history and amid a 
fundamental shift in the type of threats we face, now is not the time 
to let partisanship get in the way of what must be done to continue 
supporting our airmen and maintainers. Let's work together so that we 
can build the Air Force that we need so that, above all else, the world 
knows that the U.S. Air Force will never allow any adversary to dictate 
how, when, and where we fly.
  Thank you.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CARPER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cramer). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.