Rep. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) thinks his state may not lose an Air Force Research Lab facility at Mesa, Ariz., that BRAC 2005 directed should move to AFRL headquarters at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. Flake told the Arizona Republic that the action on AFRL’s Warfighter Readiness Research Division at Mesa could be “postponed indefinitely.” Of course, that is not supposed to happen once the President and Congress sign off on the independent BRAC commission recommendations. And, Wright-Patt is investing big money to absorb new functions.
The Pentagon awarded a contract worth over $2 billion for the next batch of F-35 engines to Pratt & Whitney on June 5. The deal for Lot 17 F135 engines, totaling $2.02 billion, is expected to be completed by December 2025.