It was premature to cut defense spending 15 years ago, said Rep. Curt Weldon Wednesday, adding that the long hiatus in modernizing—which he characterized as “sitting around singing ‘Kumbaya’… because the world was at peace”—has made the current situation almost “unbearable.” Defense spending has “hit a ceiling” because entitlement programs devour 60 percent of the federal tax dollar. He told attendees at AFA’s Air & Space Conference that they have no choice but to do more with less. He enjoined them to help by “cutting costs on the programs you want to buy.”
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.