In Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz’s speech at AFA’s Air & Space Conference Tuesday, he challenged both the Air Force and industry to think about the future and, as he told reporters afterwards, to take “a long view.” He wants industry to think beyond near-term business and profits and take a position commensurate with having programs that will stretch 30 years into the future. He also requested “unity.” Asked if he’s simply trying to tell the combined audiences that the old Air Force is gone and not coming back, Schwartz said: “I hope it didn’t come across that way. What I was trying to do was indicate that if people have concerns about the future, I’m no Pollyanna. These are tough times. And we will get through this. We’ll be okay. That was the message.”
It is critical that the Air Force move forward on the replacement for its E-4B “Doomsday” aircraft to keep the capability “viable” into the next decade and beyond, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. told lawmakers May 8.