Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.) has gone on record as “strongly opposed” to the President’s 2007 defense budget proposal to terminate C-17 production at 180 aircraft—issuing a statement saying, “If we do not purchase additional transports, we will lack the capability needed to deploy and adequately sustain forces overseas.” Talent acknowledges that adding more C-17s will be “an uphill battle.” Still, he has support. The Senate late last year did pass his legislation supporting additional procurement of C-17s.
Lt. Gen. Stephen L. Davis, the Department of the Air Force’s top internal watchdog, has been nominated to lead Air Force Global Strike Command, which oversees the service’s bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles.