The Air Force will be able to retire one old B-52 bomber, 29 KC-135E tankers, and zero U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, if the House Armed Services Committee gets its way with the 2007 defense authorization bill. The panel “strongly opposes” reducing conventional long-range strike capability until a replacement is at hand. It would have the Air Force maintain “at least” 44 combat B-52s until 2018 or until a suitable replacement attains initial operational capability. On the older tanker, the panel says it is “premature” to retire 78 of the E models, as USAF requested, until the KC-X program is further along. And, the panel directs USAF to keep any E models it does retire in condition to be recalled, should they be needed again. House authorizers do not want the Air Force to retire any of its high-flying U-2s until it can prove an intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance gap identified by the Quadrennial Defense Review has been filled.
Air Force Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich assumed command of U.S. European Command on July 1, taking over the key assignment as the U.S. and its allies contend with a resurgent Russia and a grinding war in Ukraine.
