Air Force Special Operations Command is looking forward to acquiring exotic weapons, Lt. Gen. Michael Wooley told defense reporters in Washington yesterday. He estimates that the next-generation gunship will not be equipped with big guns. “It would have directed energy lasers [and] lethal and non-lethal capabilities,” he said, adding that he’s pushing for it to be able to fly regardless of the weather and be capable of round-the-clock flight. “I want to go for a technological leap,” he explained, adding that the next-generation gunship may be more like a long-range strike aircraft or a bomber.
If the Air Force is in line for a big budget bump from President Donald Trump’s proposed $1.5 trillion defense budget in 2027, the head of Air Combat Command said he would make aircraft spare parts his top spending priority—but cautioned that more money to buy parts won’t equal a…


