Airmen are nearly done packing up operations at K2 air base, but the Pentagon now has to deal with the tab from the American tenure at the Uzbekistan facility. The bill is almost $23 million. The State Department and Congress both have protested the payment in light of the autocratic nature of the Uzbek regime, not to mention the fact the Uzbek’s threw us out of K2. The latest volley, according to the Washington Post, came in the form of a terse letter to Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld that was orchestrated by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and signed by Joseph Biden (D-Del.), Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), and John Sununu (R-N.H.). They want to hold the payment, pending a change of heart by Uzbekistan.
Competitors Not Picked for CCA Look Forward to Increment 2
April 25, 2024
While none of the major aircraft contractors were selected to develop the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, all three say they are seeking further autonomous aircraft work for the Navy, foreign partners, or in the classified arena, and maybe future versions of the CCA itself.