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.”
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.