Requirements Creep Doomed the Electric BUFF: Snowballing requirements doomed the B-52 Standoff Jammer project, according to Gen. Michael Moseley. The original idea called for about a $1 billion project to develop interchangeable pods that could fulfill “a very narrow slice” of the SOJ requirement, said the USAF Chief of Staff at a Capitol Hill seminar Tuesday. But by the time the Air Force formally killed the project early this year, it had swelled to an overly ambitious $7 billion project. “We couldn’t afford it,” Moseley said. Asked why the Air Force couldn’t contain the requirements creep as it was happening, Moseley said “I don’t know. It’s a good question.” The Air Force is looking at a variety of options to replace the capability, but Moseley notes that “the desired effect” rather than a platform, will drive the solution this time. The service is considering a podded system that could be deployed on the F-15E or an unmanned air vehicle.
The U.K. and the U.S. will continue to enjoy access to the ports, airfield, and workshops at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for at least another century, under a deal inked between the U.K. and Mauritius May 22.