U.S. Air Force discloses big-ticket wish list

By Jim Wolf

WASHINGTON, Sept 25 (Reuters) - The U.S. Air Force would like to buy new aerial refueling tankers -- the object of an increasingly bitter battle between Boeing Co (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Northrop Grumman Corp (NOC.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) -- at about twice the currently projected rate, a top service official said Tuesday.

The Air Force is also keen to acquire Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) radar-evading F-35 fighter jets at about twice the currently planned maximum rate of 48 a year, said Lt. Gen. Ray Johns, deputy chief of staff for strategic plans and programs.

At issue are some of the big-ticket items eyed by the Air Force as it presses for a budget jump averaging $20 billion a year, up nearly 20 percent from about $115 billion currently, for more than than five years to come.

Without the extra funds to replace aging warplanes, old infrastructure and cope with soaring operating costs, "future U.S. air, space and cyberspace dominance is in question," Johns told the annual conference of the Air Force Association, a booster group.

He said the Air Force remained keen to buy all of the 381 Lockheed Martin F-22A fighter jets it has said it needs, up from 183 now projected by the Defense Department.

Johns said the Air Force would like to buy 26 new refueling tankers a year once the winning bidder's production facilities are capable of turning them out, up from a currently planned maximum of 12 or 14 a year.

Boeing and Northrop traded barbs about each other's proposals at dueling news conferences, each featuring four retired military officers to promote their airplanes.

The Air Force also would like to buy more Boeing Co C-17 transport planes and retire aging Lockheed Martin C-5As, he said. The Air Force has proposed retiring 30 of the oldest C-5s and buying 30 more C-17s.