Rep. Jim Saxton (R-N.J.) declares in an op-ed in the Washington Times that “some in Congress do not understand” that a “modern airlift fleet is essential” to get US forces to hotspots fast. As with an earlier letter that responded to a Washington Post article, Saxton urges his fellow lawmakers to let the Air Force manage its airlift fleet, by removing restrictions on retiring some older aircraft, principally C-5A strategic airlifters. He says prolonging the life of the oldest C-5s “costs the American taxpayer untold billions of dollars and leaves us with an inferior strategic airlift fleet.” He favors continuing the C-17 production line for a while longer.
The nation needs a better-coordinated policy for dealing with unmanned aerial systems that threaten domestic bases, Air Force vice chief of staff Gen. James C. Slife told a panel of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He and Pentagon acquisition and sustainment chief William LaPlante co-chair a panel looking at counter-UAS…