The Air Force is asking industry what commercial products it has that could fill a need for low-cost fighter planes that was flagged in a white paper from Sen. John McCain, the service’s chief said on Wednesday.
Gen. David Goldfein, the Air Force chief of staff, said he thinks McCain’s call for about 300 “low-cost, light-attack” fighter planes is a “great idea.”
“If getting into a low-end capability that could actually help me with building and sustaining the coalition lowers costs and increases readiness, I’m all for it,” Goldfein said.
Goldfein said that he is planning on going to industry and asking them to pitch their low-cost, commercial platforms that could fill this mission and that he is “expecting many of the companies to come forward.”
Asked specifically about the Scorpion jet from Textron AirLand, the general said that is one of the options the Air Force will consider.
