There’s an amendment in the offing that would prohibit transfer sole control of the Joint Combat Aircraft program to the Air Force. Roxana Tiron of The Hill reports that Sen. Clair McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Sen. Mark (D-Ark.) plan to introduce such an amendment to the defense authorization bill, yet to be taken up by the full Senate. They apparently have swung the powerful National Guard Caucus to their point of view. The head of the National Guard Bureau, Army Lt. Gen. Steven Blum this month told The Hill that he feared shifting funding and control to the Air Force alone would slow the program. Also there’s the little matter of a protest over the contract award.
F-15E Aviator Missing in Iran Rescued by US Forces
April 5, 2026
The second crew member of the F-15E shot down April 3 has been rescued from Iran. U.S. forces recovered the aviator alive and all American forces involved in the operation are believed to be safe, U.S. officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine.