Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh have tasked the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board to study three topics in 2015. They include, “cyber vulnerabilities of embedded systems in air and space systems; enhanced utility of unmanned air vehicles in contested and denied environments; and utility of quantum systems for the Air Force,” according to an Oct. 17 release. Fifty-four of “the nation’s top civilian scientists and engineers” make up the task force, which is slated to brief its findings to Air Force leadership by the end of June 2015, states the release. “The information and recommendations of the SAB will then be used to shape and guide Air Force policy,” according to the release. (Terms of Reference for 2015 studies.) (See also Put Your Thinking Caps On for reference to 2014 studies.)
Air Force Munitions Gets Big Boost from Reconciliation
June 28, 2025
Thanks to reconciliation, the fiscal 2026 Air Force budget would get a surge of munitions procurement, but it's not yet clear if the production increase will be sustained. The Air Force revealed the secret AIM-260 air-to-air missile's funding for the first time.