The boss of US Strategic Command, Marine Corps Gen. James Cartwright acknowledges that the high-flying U-2 reconnaissance aircraft has one major drawback: its pilot. The pilot “limits the duration on station.” Having said that, Cartwright told lawmakers that its obvious replacement—the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle—has “to demonstrate its capability, both in the upgrades and the numbers, before we want to let go of the U-2.” Congress last year prevented the Air Force from accelerating U-2 retirement because it perceived an intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance gap. Cartwright admitted that USAF has to perform “a balancing act,” however he maintained, “I cannot afford a gap in capability.”
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
