Gen. Duncan McNabb, speaking at the Airlift/Tanker Association convention Tuesday, called Air Mobility Command the “crown jewel” of the nation’s defense. He explained that every day AMC launches or lands an aircraft every 90 seconds to two minutes, conducting missions in the war on terror and for humanitarian operations such as Hurricane Katrina and the Pakistan earthquake. The general said AMC already had streamlined operations but the need to recapitalize aircraft and equipment while conducting the war on terrorism would force AMC to continue to refine operations. He told the mobility crowd, “You’re doing things faster, saving time, and turning aircraft quicker, which saves money and is creating dividends for the command.”
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
