The Senate has confirmed a third star for Maj. Gen. Robert J. Elder Jr. and his assignment as commander of 8th Air Force, headquartered at Barksdale AFB, La. (He was nominated earlier this month.) Elder would replace Lt. Gen. Kevin Chilton, who is on his way to take charge of Air Force Space Command. In his new role, Elder will also become space and global strike component commander for US Strategic Command.
After years of experiments and tests, senior Air Force leaders say they're on the verge of using C-17s and other cargo aircraft to launch cruise missiles via airdrop, touting the development as a way to bolster the combat fleet and a major shift in the service’s mindset.