House defense authorizers reaffirmed their desire that USAF keep 76 B-52 bombers, rather than dropping down to 56 as proposed in the President’s 2008 budget request. In their version of the new defense bill, they provide $106.4 million to upgrade and maintain the entire fleet of 76, until USAF comes up with a replacement platform, currently on the Pentagon agenda for around 2018. Lawmakers have repeatedly expressed skepticism that USAF can meet that aggressive timetable.
A recent seven-day exercise sent Air Force F-22s—along with other USAF aircraft—to austere, challenging environments across Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. Agile Reaper, taking place for the second time after its inaugural edition last year, featured 800 Airmen and 29 aircraft across five different locations from April 10-16, training…