Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England chided Senators who fear the C-17 production line may be shut down too early, saying, “At some point, we do have to stop the production of this airplane.” And, then, he got down to brass tacks—it was the money. England maintained that the “analysis” showed 180 C-17s to be “a sufficient quantity,” but then finished with: “We always have this tradeoff in terms of what’s the greatest priority need. And that was our decision last year.”
The Air Force displayed all the firepower it has amassed on Okinawa in an unusually diverse show of force this week. IIn a May 6 “Elephant Walk,” Kadena Air Base showcased 24 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighters, eight F-15E Strike Eagles; two U.S. Army Patriot anti-missile batteries near the runway; and…