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.
A semi-autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone shot down an air-to-air target in a Dec. 8 test supported by the U.S. Air Force, a notable milestone in the development of the loyal wingman-type drones that will join the fleets of the USAF, other American services, and allies and adversaries.
