The
2007 war supplemental bill agreed to by House and Senate conferees includes the five C-130J tactical airlifters the Air Force wanted—and DOD dropped at one point—to offset C-130s lost through war usage. The $124.2 billion supplemental doesn’t have the firm timetable for a US pullout from Iraq favored by the House, but it does include a redeployment goal, beginning no later than Oct. 1 and ending six months later. It still faces a threatened veto by President Bush. The measure, which now needs full House and Senate approval before it goes to the President, also includes funding for one CV-22 Osprey, additional Predator unmanned aerial vehicles, A-10 upgrades, defensive systems for C-5A airlifters, and other Air Force requests.
Earlier this spring, the 388th Fighter Wing proved just 12 Airmen can operate an F-35 contingency location, refueling and rearming the fighters at spots across Georgia and South Carolina. The demonstration, part of exercise Agile Flag 23-1, marks yet another proof of concept for the Air Force’s plan to send…