February 7, 2012: The U.S. Air Force has responded to looming cuts in the defense budget by making plans to reduce personnel strength (by at least 10,000) and to retire 280 aircraft. This would include 102 of 272 A-10s and 21 of 1250 F-16s, 27 of 59 C-5As, 65 of 435 C-130s, 20 of 500 KC-135s, and 21 of 38 C-27s, 18 RQ-4 Block 30 UAVs (that are on order), all 11 RC-26s, and one E-8 that was damaged and not worth repairing. Some of the aircraft cut are orders that are being cancelled. Most of the others are older aircraft that are close to retirement anyway.