Air Force Chief of Staff Michael Moseley said he’s killed the B-52 Standoff Jammer project once—when its cost ballooned from $1 billion to $7 billion—and he’s prepared to do it again if requirements get out of hand. Moseley told reporters Monday at AFA’s Air & Space Conference that the SOJ is back in the future years spending plan, but the details are still being worked out. The number to be modified could be around 36 aircraft. A big player in the final scheme for jamming will be what can be done with an unmanned vehicle that can stealthily penetrate enemy defenses, he said.
The Pentagon’s fiscal 2026 defense budget, submitted to Congress last week, accelerates the downsizing of the U.S. Air Force. It proposes divesting 340 aircraft, while only acquiring 76. These cuts risk the Air Force’s ability prevail. “Peace through strength” has...