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.
Competitors Not Picked for CCA Look Forward to Increment 2
April 25, 2024
While none of the major aircraft contractors were selected to develop the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, all three say they are seeking further autonomous aircraft work for the Navy, foreign partners, or in the classified arena, and maybe future versions of the CCA itself.