The Senate Appropriations Committee proposes adding nearly $15 billion to the Administration’s request for emergency supplemental funding for the war on terror and hurricane recovery. The measure includes almost $228 million to go toward purchase of seven additional C-17 airlifters for the Air Force. Service leaders have testified that the increased use of the new airlifters in the war has played havoc with wear-out estimates, and they need seven additional to maintain the Pentagon’s benchmark 180 C-17s. (The Air Force made the additional C-17s a top unfunded requirement for 2007.) Lawmakers in both the Senate and House support buying more C-17s, however House appropriators did not include such in their version of the supplemental, which totals about $92 billion. The Senate appropriators must defend their bill before the full Senate this week, and, if it survives, face a compromise battle with the House.
Planning an Air Show Is Hard. At Andrews, It’s Even Harder
Sept. 17, 2025
Joint Base Andrews opened its flightline this month to thousands of civilians, exposing a normally restricted airbase that regularly hosts the president and foreign dignitaries to a curious public eager to see current and historic military aircraft up close and in action.
