Maj. Gen. Frank R. Faykes, Air Force deputy assistant secretary for Budget, said that his “first look” at the 2007 defense appropriations bill passed by the House Tuesday night—to be taken up in the Senate today—showed Congressional appropriators have handed the Air Force somewhat less than it requested for personnel ($34.4 billion vice $34.5 billion), readiness ($27 billion vice $29 billion), and infrastructure ($5.7 billion vice $5.8). Faykes told attendees Wednesday at AFA’s Air & Space Conference in Washington that for modernization and recapitalization, appropriators bettered the Air Force request slightly, making it $36.7 billion vice $36.6.
A new Navy missile could fill a long-range air-to-air need for the U.S. Air Force’s fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation fighters. The Navy’s portfolio acquisition executive for munitions posted information on the AIM-424 Long Range Air-to-Air Missile online on Aug. 22, the same day it unveiled the project at the service’s…