The top government purchasers: Air Force--replacing an aging fleet

The Air Force's fleet is getting old. The service still uses some B-52 bombers that first flew five decades ago. Some KC-135 tankers built for Vietnam still are carrying out refueling missions today. And C-5 cargo planes built 30 years ago continue to do the military's heavy lifting. Not surprisingly,

"We have a very, very old fleet out there," says Darleen Druyun, principal deputy to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition. "You reach a point where you have to either completely remanufacture an aircraft or go buy a new one."

The Air Force has reached that point. Over the next five years, the service will spend $65 billion to buy and develop a new air fleet. Much of that money is earmarked for purchasing new cargo aircraft, such as C-17 airlifters and C-130J transport aircraft, to offer expanded and faster airlift capabilities. Also, the service will invest in developing and fielding new fighter aircraft, such as the F-22 and the Joint Strike Fighter, to replace aging F-15 and F-16 fighters.