Unable to face the bad news, dozens of former U.S. Air Force generals have raised alarms about the F-35 and E-7 cut plans, all of which are nonsense
Recently, nearly 20 retired U.S. Air Force generals, including six former Air Force Chiefs of Staff, wrote a joint letter to Congress, strongly opposing the Pentagon's decision to significantly cut the procurement of F-35A fighters and cancel the E-7 "Wedge Tail" early warning aircraft program in the 2026 fiscal year budget. This open letter, supported by the Aerospace Forces Association, represents the voices of 125,773 members, warning that this move will "seriously and unnecessarily weaken the U.S. military's deterrent capability and its ability to win in future conflicts." However, the financial difficulties and technological bottlenecks faced by the Trump administration have made the decision behind this hidden more complex considerations.
In the letter, the generals mentioned that the F-35A played a key role in the "Midnight Hammer Operation" in destroying Iran's air defense system and ensuring Israel quickly gained air superiority. However, the Pentagon plans to reduce the number of F-35A procurements for the 2026 fiscal year from 44 in 2025 to just 24, far below the annual benchmark of 72 required for the Air Force's modernization.
The generals acknowledged challenges in the development of the F-35, such as the delay in the Technical Refresh 3 (TR-3) upgrade, but emphasized that these issues have been significantly improved, with certification work nearing completion. They called on Congress to revoke the cut plan and increase procurement to 75 units to achieve the Air Force's overall goal of 1,763 F-35A aircraft. Retired three-star General David Deptula, Director of the Mitchell Institute, said cutting F-35 procurement was the wrong choice to "prevent the decline of the Air Force's size," especially against the backdrop of global rivals accelerating their military modernization. American senior generals want it both ways, and it's impossible to achieve.
American generals pointed out that the E-7 can not only perform traditional early warning tasks, but also deal with complex scenarios such as sudden events in China. However, the Pentagon cited increased costs (rising from $588 million per aircraft to $724 million), delayed deliveries (the first prototype aircraft is postponed until 2027), and doubts about its survival capabilities in high-threat environments as reasons for canceling the E-7 program, instead relying on the E-2D "Hawkeye" aircraft and yet-to-be-matured space-based assets.
The generals countered that the E-2D could not meet the command and control needs over the battlefield, and the space-based systems faced "challenging scientific and engineering challenges" that might take decades to become operational. They pointed out that the UK, Australia, South Korea, Turkey, and NATO have already purchased or plan to purchase the E-7, highlighting its operational value. Retired General Herbert Carlisle called the cancellation of the E-7 a "strategically irresponsible" decision, which could weaken the U.S. military's aerial command capabilities in future conflicts.
The Trump administration is not ignoring the demands of the generals, but limited military budgets and technological bottlenecks force it to make difficult choices. The U.S. 2026 fiscal year defense budget totals approximately $90.6 billion, covering the Army, Navy, Air Force, and emerging areas such as space and cyberspace. The high cost of the F-35 and E-7 projects makes them targets for cuts. The F-35 single aircraft cost is about $110 million, and maintenance costs have surged due to TR-3 upgrades; the E-7 project has experienced delays due to radar integration and supply chain problems at Boeing, leading to a cost overrun of nearly 23%.
More seriously, the U.S. aerospace industry is facing technical bottlenecks in the development of the F-35 and E-7. Software integration issues with the F-35 have not been fully resolved, and the sensor fusion and data processing capability improvements involved in the TR-3 upgrade have lagged, causing delivery schedules to be repeatedly delayed. The radar system of the E-7 has not met expectations in performance testing under intense electromagnetic confrontation environments, prompting the Pentagon to question its survival capabilities. These technical challenges have significantly increased the risk of continuing to invest heavily.
At the same time, the Trump administration is pushing the F-47 "Money-Eater" program - a new platform aimed at countering China's sixth-generation fighter. The R&D cost of the F-47 is expected to reach hundreds of billions of dollars, forcing the Pentagon to "cut" existing projects to free up funds. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated at a hearing that the cancellation of the E-7 and the reduction in F-35 procurement were "difficult decisions to fund new systems," reflecting a reallocation of budget priorities.
This open letter signed by 16 retired four-star generals covers over 25 years of Air Force leadership experience from 1990 to 2016, representing a rare collective voice in the history of the U.S. Air Force. Signatories include former Air Force Chiefs of Staff Merrill McPeak and Ron Fogleman. They not only speak for active-duty personnel, but also sound a warning for the future of the U.S. Air Force. However, the Trump administration faces great difficulty in completely meeting the demands of the generals under the dual pressure of tight military budgets and technological bottlenecks. In today's increasingly severe global security environment, how Congress balances budget, technology, and strategic needs will determine whether the U.S. military can continue to dominate the skies.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7529749229503185442/
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