Chris Coons
21:59 - 22:48
“the administration has at times, um, talked in competing ways, with one breath insisting our current operational tempo is risk-free, and in the next requesting billions for additional vital munitions.”
- Speaker
- Chris Coons
- Timestamp
- 21:59 – 22:48
- Community
- Alaska News
- Captured at
- June 9, 2026
From the transcript
Our F-35s today sit around 56% mission capable, in part due to low spare parts availability. The new F-15EXs are years delayed coming off the production line. The department has been unwilling or unable to speak with clarity on the need to upgrade our aging airborne early warning and control fleet, delaying development and delivery of the new E-7, um, through budget malpractice last year, and I hope we will move forward and resolve that. I also remain concerned about key munitions, particularly given that a large portion of EPIC Fury has been conducted using air-to-ground and air-to-air munitions. Um, the administration has at times, um, talked in competing ways, with one breath insisting our current operational tempo is risk-free, and in the next requesting billions for additional vital munitions.
Related Coverage
The Air Force wants $7 billion for fighter recapitalization at Elmendorf — but Alaska's military investments are riding on a partisan bill senators don't think will pass
The Air Force requested $7 billion for fighter jets at Elmendorf-Richardson in its 2027 budget, but half the F-35 funding and other Alaska-critical spending is routed through a partisan bill that Republican and Democratic senators say will not pass.
The Air Force wants a $338.8 billion budget — a 34% jump that includes a 130% Space Force boost that flows to Clear
Air Force seeks $338.8 billion for fiscal 2027, a 34 percent increase with Space Force funding up 130 percent. • Clear Space Force Station in interior Alaska could receive part of the $71.1 billion Space Force request. • Funding also targets facility upgrades at JBER and Eielson Air Force Base, addressing a $50 billion maintenance backlog.
