Air chiefs from West and East Africa gathered with US Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa senior officials in Accra, Ghana, for the annual Regional Air Chiefs Symposium, according to a USAFE-AFAFRICA release. The three-day symposium concluded on Aug. 22. The air chiefs discussed how they could apply each country’s unique air capabilities to resolve regional issues. “One nation might have an excellent helicopter fleet, another might have skilled loadmasters, and another might have outstanding air operations planners,” said Gen. Frank Gorenc, USAFE-AFAFRICA commander, in his keynote address. “If these three nations integrated their skills, together they could provide an important, robust capability to missions throughout the continent,” he said. Panel discussions included ways to enhance air power contributions, irregular warfare, and peacekeeping operations, according to the release. (Accra report by Capt. Reba Good)
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.
