Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne told lawmakers last week that he believes the service needs to set up “another special program office” right next to the National Reconnaissance Office’s Chantilly, Va., headquarters so the Air Force and NRO can “share a career together.” The first order of business is for the Air Force, said Wynne, is to “restore the intellectual basis” by becoming “competent suppliers in the game.” He noted that the Air Force leadership planned to meet with NRO Director Don Kerr, DOD intelligence guru Stephen Cambone, and others to talk about how to “partner closer and reduce redundancies” in space launch, space operations, space oversight, space situational awareness, and other areas. That session was to take place March 3 in Colorado on the occasion of the retirement of the commander of Air Force Space Command, Gen. Lance Lord.
The Air Force ramped up operations and maintenance spending to keep its F-35A fighters flying over the past six years, but readiness continues to lag behind goals, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.