Despite telling Senators that he believes the current plan to upgrade C-5As will win out, Deputy SECDEF England acknowledged that the “higher-than-anticipated usage of the C-17” means the Pentagon “will need likely a few more airplanes.” However, England said that is an issue for the 2008 budget not the 2007 budget.
The Pentagon is considering ditching the Air Force’s plan to buy the E-7 Wedgetail as it looks to outsource the airborne target-tracking mission to space, defense officials indicated this week.