Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley says the Air Force has a surplus of fighter/bomber pilots and a deficit of rated aircrew for unmanned aerial vehicle, special operations, and command and control units. And, he maintains in a newly posted Chief’s Scope, that he is “on fire about this.” The problem with the bomber/fighter cadre is that with such a fat roster, Moseley says the junior airmen get less flying time. Consequently, their “combat readiness and continued professional development” is stunted, explained the Chief.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.