A Boeing official on Sept. 4 reiterated what the Airborne Laser program director, Air Force Col. John Daniels, explained in June: If Congress proceeds with proposed cuts to the ABL program, they will delay it by two years. The Associated Press news service reports that Boeing Vice President Greg Hyslop confirmed that dire prediction and pointed to the program’s recent successes.
The Air Force is planning to spend $2.19 billion over the next five years to acquire new C-37 jets for transporting military and civilian leaders. That’s on top of another $1.17 billion in projected funding for the VC-25B “Air Force One” replacement.