Apparently the QDR is nonspecific, so far, about how many new C-130J Hercules the Air Force will be able to buy. Officials say the service may get 75, although they admit this is one of the squishier QDR conclusions. Also up in the air is the whole interplay of C-17s, C-130Js, and a new Light Cargo Aircraft for the intratheater airlift mission. There may be a new wrinkle: Entering the discussion is speculation that a new super-short takeoff and vertical landing C-130-sized aircraft may be the optimum machine to link the Navy’s new sea-base vessels and units ashore, rather than the LCA or the C-130J.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth vowed to undertake far-reaching reforms on the way the U.S. military buys weapons, promising a sweeping overhaul of the way the Defense Department determines requirements, handles the acquisition process, and tests its kit. The fundamental goal, which Hegseth underscored in a 1-hour and 10-minute speech…
