Boeing Puts Down Its Bet—On the C-17: Boeing officials are spending the company dime to purchase C-17 parts to keep the production process in play, according to Otto Kreisher of Copley News Service. They may still hope that Congress would step in to overturn the Pentagon plan to limit production to just 180 of the new airlifters. However, Boeing Vice President John Sams says he does not know how long the company can put off a decision to cut off suppliers and start shutting down the C-17 line in Long Beach, Calif. Sams, for one, does not buy the new DOD position that the Air Force would be better off with more tankers to double as cargo haulers when they are not refueling other aircraft.
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
