The Eye of the Beholder: Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England took exception with Air Force leaders who would rather retire C-5As and buy additional C-17s with the savings. England told the Senate Armed Services Committee Wednesday, “In my judgment, this will come out that we will upgrade the C-5s.” The Air Force plans to ask lawmakers to remove a Congressional restriction on retiring the C-5As. England admits that “people are still, frankly, looking at this issue,” but he maintains that it’s a question of “timing”—the C-5s are needed.
House, Senate Unveil Competing Proposals for 2026 Budget
July 11, 2025
Lawmakers from the House and Senate laid out competing versions of the annual defense policy bill on July 11, with vastly different potential outcomes for some of the Air Force’s most embattled programs.