Navy Air Warfare Director: Navy Needs 20 F-35Cs Per Year by 2020
March 26, 2015
The president's 2016 budget proposal calls for the procurement of a total of 38 F-35Cs for the Navy and Marine Corps through 2020, in addition to 83 F-35Bs for the Marine Corps.
"The president's budget … had to defer 16 F-35Cs out of the FYDP [Future Years Defense Plan] for fiscal reasons and priorities of the Department [of the Navy]," Manazir said in response to a question from Rep. Marc Veasey, D-Texas. "We use 35 to 39 strike fighters a year just in utilization attrition. If you're not replacing 35 to 39 aircraft per year you cannot sustain your inventory into the future. We look forward to working with Congress on acquiring enough airplanes to meet our strike fighter needs."