At the Projection Forces Subcommittee hearing last night, Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.) asked whether the Air Force would prefer to buy more C-17s or recapitalize its tanker fleet. Lt. Gen. Donald Hoffman, military deputy for acquisition, said the service is serious about recapitalizing the KC-135 fleet effectively and quickly. (Read his written testimony here.) Hoffman revealed that on Monday when he met with the Chief of Staff, Gen. Michael Moseley, Moseley said, “I’ll take the first tanker before I take the 181st C-17.”
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.