Gen. Michael Moseley told the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday he is concerned about the service’s plan to reduce flying hours by 10 percent in Fiscal 2008. “I’m on the verge of being not comfortable with this, and I’ve asked our folks to look at is there not some way to begin to migrate that money back,” said the Chief of Staff. He went on to say that while the simulator is “interesting,” it’s not sufficient to ensure airmen are fully prepared for battle. “Simulators are not a complete substitute for flying hours. You have to actually be able to fly the aircraft in a combat setting.”
The Air Force could conduct an operation like Israel's successful air campaign against Iran's nuclear sites, military leadership and air defenses, but readiness issues would make it risky, airpower experts said. Limited spare parts and training, low mission capable rates and few flying hours would put a drag on USAF's…