USAF Budget Funds Munitions, Keeps U-2: The US Air Force's budget request reflects the service's delicate situation — balancing the need to recapitalize an aging fleet with real-world concerns and ongoing operations.
While focusing heavily on research and development, the budget also funds a significant jump in air-to-ground munitions to help current operations. And while the service will continue its fight to retire the A-10, the U-2 spy plane has been spared retirement until 2019 under the new plan, according to a budget briefing released by the service Monday.
Overall, the budget requests $122.1 billion in "blue" money. (Due to budgeting methodology, the Pentagon funnels some funds through the Air Force, which the service cannot use.) $24.2 billion of that goes to procurement with $17.9 billion going to research, development, test and evaluation programs (RDT&E).
