Does Stevens See an End to Galena?: Sen. Ted Stevens has uncharacteristically thrown in the towel on a state military base matter. The powerful Alaska Republican said in a Thursday press conference that he believes the BRAC panel will vote to close the USAF operation at Galena AS, Alaska. It was added to the Pentagon list by the commission. Stevens bluntly told reporters that he hopes a vote to close Galena would move Eielson Air Force Base off the endangered list. The Galena site is a small airstrip used by F-15s from Elmendorf Air Force Base for emergencies and touch-and-go training.
The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is behind schedule and may significantly overrun its expected cost, which could partially explain why the service is reviving the hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid-Response Weapon.