The new Secretary maintains that the Air Force has always been a joint service, but he wants it to seek out new missions instead of “waiting to be asked.” He calls this approach: “aggressively pursuing joint.” The Air Force already provides close air support, aerial mobility and refueling, indirect fire, intelligence, aeromedical evacuation, security, training, tactical communications, contracting, and convoy operations. Now, says Wynne, the question is “should we encroach a little bit more on unfamiliar territory.”
Members of the House Armed Services Committee say the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile program has been set back three months due to the ongoing government shutdown. The comment is noteworthy because the JATM's status has been kept tightly under wraps.
