New
ly minted Air Mobility Command chief Gen. Arthur Lichte said Tuesday at AFA’s Air & Space Conference in Washington that he hopes “within 60 days” to have final data from the Army and Marine Corps about how those two services plan to add a combined 92,000 troops over the next few years. The information will help AMC be precise in determining how many additional airlifters it will need to move the expanded ground force. Lichte said he’s also waiting on data about the Army’s Future Combat System vehicles, which need airlift for rapid deployability. That info, too, will drive strategic mobility requirements.
The Pentagon released its new National Defense Strategy late Jan. 23, emphasizing a new commitment to the Western Hemisphere. But while that focus garnered most of the headlines, the strategy’s subtle shifts on China raise questions about how the Trump administration aims to leverage U.S. military power in the Indo-Pacific.

