New Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne told airmen in Germany that he is convinced the Air Force has outlived the term Future Total Force. “I think we need to stop [talking about FTF,] says Wynne. Wynne may be thinking about the uproar the FTF plan caused within the Air National Guard this past year. FTF was at the heart of the Air Force’s BRAC recommendations to close ANG facilities and realign ANG flying units. And, there appears to be more rancor ahead. Nonetheless, on his travels to Southwest Asia and Europe over the holidays, Wynne says he has seen active, Guard, and Reserve airmen working as “an amalgamated force.”
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.