{"id":84633,"date":"2025-07-08T17:17:04","date_gmt":"2025-07-08T17:17:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/uncategorized\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T01:21:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T01:21:49","slug":"former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Air Force chiefs sound alarm about planned F-35, E-7 cuts"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">On Monday, more than a dozen retired top Air Force generals \u2014 including six former chiefs of staff \u2014 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.afa.org\/generals-to-congress-buy-more-f-35s-fund-the-e-7\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.afa.org\/generals-to-congress-buy-more-f-35s-fund-the-e-7\/\">released a letter<\/a> urging Congress to reverse Pentagon plans to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/air\/2025\/06\/27\/us-air-force-to-retire-all-a-10s-cancel-e-7-under-2026-spending-plan\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/air\/2025\/06\/27\/us-air-force-to-retire-all-a-10s-cancel-e-7-under-2026-spending-plan\/\">kill the E-7 Wedgetail program<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/air\/2025\/06\/12\/air-force-f-35-buy-would-be-cut-in-half-under-pentagon-spending-plan\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.airforcetimes.com\/air\/2025\/06\/12\/air-force-f-35-buy-would-be-cut-in-half-under-pentagon-spending-plan\/\">slash F-35 procurement<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cOn behalf of the Air and Space Forces Association\u2019s 125,773 members, we write to express our alarm at recent proposals to reduce the next fiscal year\u2019s procurement of F-35As to only 24 aircraft and terminate the E-7 Wedgetail program,\u201d the 16 retired general officers said in the letter to the top Republican and Democratic leaders in the House and Senate, which was posted on AFA\u2019s website. \u201cDuring a period of heightened tension throughout the world, we believe such reductions will severely and unnecessarily undermine our service members\u2019 ability to deter, and if necessary, prevail in future conflicts.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Former Air Force chiefs of staff Gens. Merrill McPeak, Ron Fogleman, Michael Ryan, John Jumper, Michael Moseley and Mark Welsh were among those who signed the letter. Aside from retired Gen. Norton Schwartz, who did not sign the letter, these signatures represent more than a quarter-century of Air Force chiefs, who led the service from late 1990 to summer 2016. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In all, 16 retired four-stars signed the letter, with some adding their names after its initial release Monday, as well as three officials from AFA and the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies who also were general officers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">David Deptula, a retired Air Force three-star general and dean of the Mitchell Institute who signed and helped organize the letter, said in an interview with Defense News that a public letter from so many former Air Force chiefs and other four-star generals has never occurred before.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s long overdue that someone weigh in on the importance of stopping the decline in the size of the Air Force,\u201d Deptula said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Retired Gen. Herbert \u201cHawk\u201d Carlisle, a former head of Air Combat Command, told Defense News that at first he had qualms about signing the letter, noting he was reluctant to appear to second-guess the Air Force\u2019s current leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Ultimately, however, he felt it was necessary to get the administration\u2019s attention and get them to look at \u201cthe big picture\u201d of what the Air Force and airmen need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNow is the time to act,\u201d Carlisle said. \u201cIt\u2019s critical.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Deptula also called the Pentagon\u2019s plan to scuttle the E-7 \u201cstrategically irresponsible.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2023\/03\/23\/the-ability-to-stare-why-the-us-air-force-is-eager-to-get-the-e-7\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2023\/03\/23\/the-ability-to-stare-why-the-us-air-force-is-eager-to-get-the-e-7\/\">Air Force has long wanted to replace its aging fleet of E-3 Sentry<\/a> airborne warning and control system, or AWACS, with the Wedgetail. The latter is an updated Boeing-made airborne battle management plane. Plans to terminate that program and cut the F-35 buy were included in the Pentagon\u2019s proposed fiscal 2026 budget released in late June.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">An Air Force official said at the time that the E-7\u2019s cost increase, concerns over survivability in a contested environment, and \u201csignificant delays\u201d led to the Wedgetail program\u2019s cancellation. In its place, the Pentagon plans to get the E-7\u2019s mission done with space-based assets and adding more E-2D Hawkeye planes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Earlier in June, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2025\/06\/10\/hegseth-questions-air-force-plan-to-buy-e-7-touts-space-based-recon\/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/air\/2025\/06\/10\/hegseth-questions-air-force-plan-to-buy-e-7-touts-space-based-recon\/\">Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth expressed skepticism about the E-7<\/a> and its survivability in a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing, and saying the future of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance will be largely space-based.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIt\u2019s our job to fund those new systems and make tough calls,\u201d Hegseth told lawmakers. \u201cThe E-7 is an example of that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Monday\u2019s letter, the retired generals strongly pushed back on plans to replace the E-7 with a \u201cstopgap measure\u201d of E-2 Hawkeyes and then, more permanently, with space-based assets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe E-2 is unable to meet the combatant command requirements for theater-wide airborne command and control,\u201d the generals said in the letter. \u201cThat is not the mission for which it is designed. Additionally, the E-7 can perform missions different from traditional AWACS roles that will be critical to the China contingency.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The generals said they believe the Space Force will one day field a space-based air battle management system \u2014 but there are \u201cdaunting\u201d scientific and engineering challenges to overcome, and it\u2019s unclear how long that would take. Deptula estimated it could take decades and said it certainly would not be ready by 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cSince having a robust tracking and battle management system is fundamental to projecting air power and winning conflicts, prudence demands we acquire sufficient numbers of E-7s to prevail when the next conflict unfolds,\u201d they wrote. They also noted the United Kingdom, Australia, South Korea, Turkey and NATO are all either already flying the Wedgetail or have decided to buy it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Deptula said AWACS planes were a critical part of the mission to strike Iran\u2019s nuclear sites last month, and that the Air Force needs to keep these kind of capabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The generals also said it is vital for the Air Force to rapidly buy enough F-35As to get it to its eventual goal of 1,763 Joint Strike Fighters, and said the jets have recently proven their worth in combat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cF-35As were integral to the success of Operation Midnight Hammer [the U.S. strike on Iranian nuclear facilities], but also crucial to the Israeli Air Force\u2019s ability to crush Iran\u2019s air defenses and swiftly achieve air superiority over Iran,\u201d the generals wrote in the letter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The generals acknowledged the F-35 has faced challenges in its development, most recently in the delayed rollout of hardware and software upgrades known as Technology Refresh 3, but said those upgrades have greatly improved and that their certifications are nearly done. They urged Congress to not only reverse the Pentagon\u2019s planned F-35A cuts, but increase the jet\u2019s procurement plan and buy 75 in 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Other retired officers who signed the letter include: former vice chiefs of staff Gen. John Loh and Gen. John Corley; former Air Force Global Strike Command head retired Gen. Robin Rand; former U.S. Northern Command and NORAD heads Gen. Ralph Eberhart and Gen. Lori Robinson; and Gen. Joseph Ralston, a former vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and former NATO supreme allied commander.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Retired Lt. Gen. Burt Field, now president and CEO of AFA, and retired Brig. Gen. Bernie Skoch, now AFA\u2019s board chair, also signed the letter. Retired generals Philip Breedlove, also a former NATO supreme allied commander, Kevin Chilton, former head of U.S. Strategic Command, and Lance Lord, former head of Air Force Space Command, were later added to the list of signatories.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nearly 20 retired Air Force general officers, including six former chiefs of staff, urged lawmakers to reverse Pentagon plans to cut the E-7 and F-35s.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":119833,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":67,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[16,67],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3320],"class_list":["post-84633","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-your-air-force"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"3B3DPUSGV5E6VBQPM4U7UZLC44","arc_canonical_url":"\/air\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Former Air Force chiefs sound alarm about planned F-35, E-7 cuts - Air Force TImes<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Nearly 20 retired Air Force general officers, including six former chiefs of staff, urged lawmakers to reverse Pentagon plans to cut the E-7 and F-35s.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Former Air Force chiefs sound alarm about planned F-35, E-7 cuts\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Nearly 20 retired Air Force general officers, including six former chiefs of staff, urged lawmakers to reverse Pentagon plans to cut the E-7 and F-35s.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Air Force TImes\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-07-08T17:17:04+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T01:21:49+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Stephen Losey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Stephen Losey\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/08\\\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/08\\\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Former Air Force chiefs sound alarm about planned F-35, E-7 cuts\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2025-07-08T17:17:04+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T01:21:49+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/08\\\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 1077,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/08\\\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/F-35-June-2025-demo.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Your Air Force\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/08\\\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/08\\\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/08\\\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Former Air Force chiefs sound alarm about planned F-35, E-7 cuts - Air Force TImes\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/08\\\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/08\\\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/F-35-June-2025-demo.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2025-07-08T17:17:04+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T01:21:49+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Nearly 20 retired Air Force general officers, including six former chiefs of staff, urged lawmakers to reverse Pentagon plans to cut the E-7 and F-35s.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/08\\\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/08\\\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/08\\\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/F-35-June-2025-demo.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/F-35-June-2025-demo.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/2025\\\/07\\\/08\\\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Your Air Force\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/news\\\/your-air-force\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"your-air-force\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Former Air Force chiefs sound alarm about planned F-35, E-7 cuts\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Air Force TImes\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Airmen | Air Force Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Air Force TImes\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/air-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/air-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Air Force TImes\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/airforcetimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Former Air Force chiefs sound alarm about planned F-35, E-7 cuts - Air Force TImes","description":"Nearly 20 retired Air Force general officers, including six former chiefs of staff, urged lawmakers to reverse Pentagon plans to cut the E-7 and F-35s.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/air\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Former Air Force chiefs sound alarm about planned F-35, E-7 cuts","og_description":"Nearly 20 retired Air Force general officers, including six former chiefs of staff, urged lawmakers to reverse Pentagon plans to cut the E-7 and F-35s.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/","og_site_name":"Air Force TImes","article_published_time":"2025-07-08T17:17:04+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T01:21:49+00:00","author":"Stephen Losey","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Stephen Losey","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Former Air Force chiefs sound alarm about planned F-35, E-7 cuts","datePublished":"2025-07-08T17:17:04+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T01:21:49+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/"},"wordCount":1077,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/F-35-June-2025-demo.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["News","Your Air Force"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/","name":"Former Air Force chiefs sound alarm about planned F-35, E-7 cuts - Air Force TImes","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/F-35-June-2025-demo.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2025-07-08T17:17:04+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T01:21:49+00:00","description":"Nearly 20 retired Air Force general officers, including six former chiefs of staff, urged lawmakers to reverse Pentagon plans to cut the E-7 and F-35s.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/F-35-June-2025-demo.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/F-35-June-2025-demo.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/2025\/07\/08\/former-air-force-chiefs-sound-alarm-about-planned-f-35-e-7-cuts\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Your Air Force","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/news\/your-air-force\/","ad_zone":"your-air-force"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Former Air Force chiefs sound alarm about planned F-35, E-7 cuts"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","name":"Air Force TImes","description":"Independent News For Airmen | Air Force Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#organization","name":"Air Force TImes","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/air-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/air-logo-white.png","caption":"Air Force TImes"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/F-35-June-2025-demo.jpg.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Air Force TImes","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84633","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=84633"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84633\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":84644,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/84633\/revisions\/84644"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=84633"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=84633"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=84633"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/airforcetimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=84633"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}