Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne told lawmakers last week that the Pentagon’s arguments for not sustaining a second engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter “revolve around economics” and models that “do not contemplate this fighter being in service for 50 years.” Wynne reiterated his preference—established when he was in DOD acquisition, technology, and logistics—for an alternate engine. He confessed that he doesn’t know how long the F-35 will be in service, but then who could have forecast that the F-15 and F-16 would serve for 50 years. His final comment before the Senate Appropriations defense panel: “There is something to additional reliability.”
Top Lawmakers Want 15 Percent Pay Raise for Enlisted Troops
April 19, 2024
A new law introduced by Congress would raise the pay rate 15 percent for junior enlisted troops and seek improvements on a range of quality of life issues, such as pay and compensation, child care, housing, health care access, and military spouse employment.