The Bush Administration has informed the Government of Iceland that it plans to draw down this fall four US Air Force F-15 Eagles and USAF rescue helicopter squadron from NAS Keflavik, Iceland, a base that the US has used since 1951 under a bilateral security agreement. Pentagon spokesman Lt. Cmdr. Joe Carpenter called the Keflavik mission a relic of the Cold War, saying that the move is part of the Pentagon’s overall restructuring to meet current and emerging threats. State Department officials say the US is working with Iceland to devise “an appropriate arrangement.” Iceland’s Ambassador to the US, Helgi Agustsson, told the Washington Post that Iceland was “deeply disappointed” over the decision.
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.