One of the most urgent issues facing the Air Force is the aging of its fleet of F-4s and F-5s deployed four decades ago.
“The shortage of warplanes means that there could be a delay in executing a wartime mission, which could result in huge damages for our nation should any conflict break out here and be protracted,” a security expert told The Korea Herald, declining to be named.
“Now, there have been moves to delay the decommissioning of the F-4s and F-5s. But think about how Air Force personnel would feel while operating the old platforms that should be phased out, while other nations are flying top-end warplanes.”
The Air Force plans to decommission some 40 F-4s by the end of 2019. It will also decommission some 120 F-5s by 2019 and another 60 F-5s by 2025.
The government currently plans to introduce 60 FA-50 light attack planes and 40 F-35s. But in the mid-2020s, the total number of the South’s warplanes is expected to be around 310, should it decline to purchase additional fighters.
"Concerns over airpower vacuum rise". But, it never was about air power, because the F-35 doesn't have what it takes to be a proper weapon of war.
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