President Obama has tapped Gen. John Hyten to lead US Strategic Command, according to a Sept. 9 Pentagon announcement. If confirmed, Hyten will replace Adm. Cecil Haney, who has led the command since November 2014. Hyten currently serves as commander of Air Force Space Command, a position he has held since August 2014. Lt. Gen. John Raymond, who currently serves as the deputy chief of staff for operations on the Air Staff, was nominated last week to replace Hyten at AFSPC.
Pentagon officials overseeing homeland counter-drone strategy told lawmakers that even with preliminary moves to bolster U.S. base defenses, the military still lacks the capability to comprehensively identify, track, and engage hostile drones like those that breached the airspace of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days in December…