Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz, Air Force Space Command vice commander, spoke with 50 Air Force ROTC cadets and their parents in Philadelphia recently, encouraging the young cadets from a dozen local colleges and universities to consider careers in the space and missile field. “Combat operations at or near the surface of the earth have become dependent upon the capability we provide from space,” Klotz remarked. He also told them to study cultures and languages to understand the areas where the Air Force is deployed for the global war on terror.
The Air Force is spending heavily on F-22 improvements through the end of the decade, suggesting it may not retire the jet in 2030 as it previously planned. New sensors, fuel tanks, communications, and electronic warfare systems are among the upgrades that comprise the package.