

The Air Force can't make due on $144 billion a year. The service is telling Congress it needs nearly another $19 billion for fiscal year 2009 – including about $1.7 billion worth of extra fighter jets.

Earlier this month, the Office of Secretary of Defense sent lawmakers its core budget for the next fiscal year. (War costs are funded separately.) But even that massive, half-trillion package - one that's been called "as good as it gets for defense contractors" – doesn't grant each and every item on the Army, Air Force, Navy, and Marines' wish lists. So each service submits to Congress an array of "unfunded requirements" that it wants lawmakers to pay for.

This year, the Air Force's list

is particularly long – and particularly pricey. At $18.75 billion, it's more than two-and-half-times what the Army and Marines are asking for, combined.

The service is asking for $1.1 billion, to buy parts and additional aircraft for the F-22 line of stealth fighters – planes that, last week, Defense Secretary Robert Gates had little or no part to play in the wars in Afghanistan or Iraq. Another $828 million would be devoted to the F-35 line of advanced jets; $616 million for five Global Hawk drones; $183 million for B-52 bomber equipment; and $3.9 billion to buy 15 C-17 cargo planes.

But the Air Force wants more than a few new aircraft. The Service is asking for $116 million, to pay for 100,000 new handguns with " improved ergonomic design and higher caliber effectiveness"; $13 million in "dorm furnishings"; $367 million, to buy M-4 rifles; and $276 million for "critical base services," like "base shuttle service, dining hall service hours, fitness/recreation programs, etc. Lack of funding impacts the entire base community and, specifically, junior Airmen."

The Air Force is well-known on Capitol Hill and within the Pentagon for its take-no-prisoners approach to securing funds. Recently, the service compared the Army and the Navy to wartime foes, and proclaimed proclaimed, "The Budget Battle is Zero Sum Gain [sic]."

The Army, for its part, is asking for another $3.9 billion, Inside Defense

reports. "The list includes $1.6 billion for Humvees and $137 million for Humvee trailers; $489 million for heavy tactical trucks; $625

million for driver vision enhancement technologies; and $151 million for medium tactical truck cargo trailers," according to the news service. The Marines, Inside Defense notes, want another $3 billion; more than half of that is for the controversial San Antonio-class amphibious ships.