Secretary Wynne notes, however, that it remains an open question how long the existing fleet of KC-135s will last. The AOA was supposed to provide some insight into the life expectancy of the KC-135s, but the fact the Wynne raised the point indicates there isn’t a definitive answer yet. He gave no hint as to when the Pentagon might reach a conclusion. He did say that the KC-135 overhaul operation at Tinker AFB, Okla., is keeping the aircraft going remarkably well.
A new report from the Government Accountability Office calls for the Pentagon’s Chief Technology Officer to have budget certification authority over the military services’ research and development accounts—a move the services say would add a burdensome and unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
