At his confirmation hearing Tuesday to become the next Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates told the Senate Armed Services Committee, “Whatever changed approach or strategy we come up with, … we are still going to have to have some level of American support there for the Iraqi military.” He said that there will be “some [US] presence in Iraq for a long time” and that would include logistical support and—you guessed it—air power. Said Gates, “They have no airpower of their own.”
The nominee to become the next head of U.S. Strategic Command, Vice Adm. Richard Correll, endorsed the production of more than 100 B-21 bombers, echoing his predecessor Gen. Anthony Cotton's view.
