The Deputy Commander of US Special Operations Command told lawmakers this week that he wants to have more information on the Air Force plan for unmanned aerial vehicles before passing judgment. Testifying at an April 24 Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Vice Adm. Eric Olson acknowledged that there are “many unmanned aerial vehicles flying in the air space [in Southwest Asia] in a fashion that could be coordinated better,” and added, “Whether or not the Air Force solution is the right solution, we don’t have enough detail yet on how it would actually be executed in the theater to determine whether or not it’s the ideal solution.” Olson concluded: “We know it could be done better, and we look forward to working with the Air Force … about how precisely they would intend to execute those responsibilities.” All seems reasonable until Olson caps his statement with this absurdity: “We consider that [UAV] capability an extension of the ground force, not an extension of the Air Force.”
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.