The ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Michigan Sen. Carl Levin, who will take the committee helm in January, told reporters Monday that he is ready to take a “fresh look” at Robert Gates, the man the President has tapped to replace Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Levin did not vote for Gates 15 years ago when Gates came up for confirmation to head the Central Intelligence Agency. However, Levin said essentially that it’s a new day and that he wants to ensure Gates would provide independent assessments.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.