The recent decision to move the in-service date for a next-generation bomber to 2018, announced in the QDR, is a good thing, Blechman added. The change creates motivation simply did not exist when the target date for a new system was the seemingly arbitrary 2038. The drawback of acceleration, he noted, is that advanced capabilities such as hypersonics will probably not be realistic options for this next-generation bomber.
A year after Typhoon Mawar hit Guam, the Air Force estimates it will need nearly $9.7 billion to rebuild and improve its facilities on the island. The number is close to double the $4.39 billion spent to date rebuilding Tyndall and Offutt Air Force Bases in Florida and Nebraska after…