A group of USAF generals and researchers are meeting in Washington this week to look 20 years into the future in a role-playing wargame called the Future Capabilities Assessment Game. And, though it would seem the 2005 Quadrennial Defense Review is largely done, Air Force officials say this wargame could have “potential implications” for that assessment. The results of the wargame will be classified, but officials do say it could help decide the direction of USAF’s 2008 budget request and whether to accelerate planned weapons systems or redirect service research.
It'll take up to 18 months for Lockheed Martin to deliver the 100 or so F-35s that went directly from production line to storage, awaiting the completion of Tech Refresh 3 testing. Customers haven't complained about the order in which the backlog is being delivered.