According to the Air Force’s top civilian for logistics and installations, the current configuration of training airspace “is adequate to meet [USAF] needs.” William Anderson told the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support last week that there could be changes based on where the Air Force beds downs the new F-22A and F-35 fighters, but he couldn’t provide “a definitive answer” at this point. The Air Force has just announced the next two preferred basing options for the F-22A—Hawaii and New Mexico—both with little airspace issues.
The Air Force awarded a $13.08 billion contract to the Sierra Nevada Corporation on April 26 for its Survivable Airborne Operations Center aircraft, the successor to the service’s E-4B “Doomsday” plane. Like the E-4B, officially called the National Airborne Operations Center, the SAOC will be meant to withstand a nuclear attack and keep…