Loren Thompson, a senior defense analyst with the Lexington Institute, notes that, if all plans remain unchanged, by early next decade, the Bush Administration will have closed production for all major military aircraft. Speaking Tuesday at the AFA Washington conference’s industrial base forum, Thompson said that defense industrial base issues are “simply … not a priority” for the Bush Administration.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
