Lest 
anyone misunderstand the severe need for new Air Force equipment, Gen. Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff, said Wednesday that the service is in the midst of the largest recapitalization effort in its history. Larger than post-Vietnam. Larger than what was needed after the Gulf War. And certainly larger than the reconstitution needed after 1999’s Operation Allied Force, which was a big deal at the time. Moseley pointed out during his remarks at AFA’s Air & Space Conference that USAF’s legacy hardware is “significantly less capable” than the state of the art equipment being purchased to replace it, is more expensive to maintain, and requires a larger footprint once it arrives in theater. And don’t forget that old aircraft break more often.
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.