SECAF Wynne told the Air Warfare Symposium that, in supplying worldwide surveillance, airlift, air dominance, precise navigation, timely strike, and global communications for the US military, USAF’s contributions are taken for granted by the other services and the Pentagon leadership. “We play our role so well, people forget they have to resource it,” he reported. He also said that, although the first priority of the military today must be to support the troops engaged in “this bloody fight” in Iraq, the Defense Department still has an obligation to prepare for the full “spectrum of warfare.” That means still being able to deal with a near-peer competitor in every arena. (Note: Whenever defense officials use the term “near peer,” they mean China.)
Bell Textron has won DARPA's contest for a no-runway, high-speed drone that will prove out technologies useful for special operations forces and possibly the Air Force's Agile Combat Employment concept. Bell's design converts a tiltrotor to a jet-powered aircraft able to fly at up to 450 knots.