Supporters of America’s Guardsmen don’t like what they’re hearing about upcoming QDR-induced force cuts, and they aren’t pulling any punches. Brig. Gen. Stephen M. Koper (USAF, Ret.), president of the 45,000-member National Guard Association of the United States—wrote in a Dec. 21 letter to Congress that he has “grave concern” that “dramatic” cuts may fall primarily on the Air Guard and Army Guard. “Should the American people calculate the threat to their security is better served by reducing military manpower as a cost-savings measure, then it seems obvious that the most expensive forces (the active component) should be sacrificed first, followed by the least expensive (the Guard and Reserve).” Koper hastened to add that he didn’t advocate doing either until there had been a “full, open debate,” but the message was clear.
There is a new entrant in the highly competitive field of collaborative combat aircraft—semi-autonomous drones meant to fly alongside manned combat aircraft. Northrop Grumman unveiled its new Project Talon aircraft to a small group of reporters at the facilities of its subsidiary Scaled Composites.
