Outgoing Air Force Space Command chief Gen. Lance Lord said yesterday that there is no truth to rumors that AFSPC will be demoted from a major command or that the commander’s position will be bucked back down to a three-star job. Lieutenant generals lead two other Majcoms—Air Force Special Operations Command and Air Force Reserve Command—but Lord said AFSPC “will have a four-star.” There is no word yet who will replace Lord, whose formal retirement ceremony is set for March 3. Lord said that his deputy, Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz will “hold the flag” until a successor gets named and confirmed.
The Pentagon awarded a $2.02 billion contract for Lot 17 of F-35 engines to contractor Pratt & Whitney on June 5. Work on the F135 engine is expected to be completed by December 2025.