Sen. John Warner (R-Va.) got his wish—kind of. The BRAC commission voted not to close NAS Oceana in Warner’s state. The Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee has been lobbying to prevent its closure. However, there are strings attached. The commission said Virginia and local officials have until March 2006 to condemn and buy up property encroaching on Oceana. Failure to do so will result in the movement of Oceana’s activities to Cecil Field, Fla.
The Collaborative Combat Aircraft will be operational in the late 2020s, several years before the Next-Generation Air Dominance family of systems, Air Force officials told the House Armed Services tactical aviation panel. The CCAs will first be “shooters,” then electronic warfare platforms, then sensors, in that order, they added.