Moseley said that, with 183 Raptors, he can “field seven squadrons.” However, it would take changes in the size of squadrons to get seven. At 24 airplanes each (the standard size), seven squadrons would add up to 168 aircraft, leaving just 15 for training, test, servicing, and attrition reserve. The Air Force long insisted it needed 60 just for training. Moseley did not address that discrepancy.
The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.