USAF plans to reduce fighter aircraft fleet to about four platform types 13 May 2021 by Pat Host The US Air Force (USAF) plans to reduce its fighter fleet from seven platform types to about four, or “4+1”, according to its chief of staff. General Charles Brown said on 12 May that these platforms will include the Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support (CAS) aircraft as that platform will be around for some time because of a re-winging programme. The fighter mix, he said, will also include the new Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform, the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II, and the Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon.