More scary reading about the 'fighter gap'

The remaining F-15s returned to service by spring 2008, but\nAir Combat Command officials told us that in light of the accident and\nsubsequent grounding they are concerned about the number of F-15s that will be\nable to remain in service and meet the Air Force's operational needs up to\ntheir scheduled retirement date in 2025. When we discussed this issue during\nthe exit conference of our review, Air Force and NGB/ANG officials acknowledged\nthat the end of the F-15s' useful service lives could occur earlier than 2025\nif the aircraft are increasingly used for overseas deployments or other\nmissions. During discussions for the fiscal year 2010 programming cycle, the\nAir Force sought approval from the Office of the Secretary of Defense to retire\n137 F-15s and 177 F-16s earlier than originally planned. Depending on when and\nwhere the Air Force retires these F-15s, removing them from service early could\nfurther affect the number of aircraft that will be available for units\nperforming ASA operations. In comments on a draft of this report, DOD indicated\nthat extending the service life of its F-15 and F-16 aircraft is also an\noption; however, the Air Force has yet to determine the extent to which such\nactions are viable.