The Air Force might accelerate the replacement of its Vietnam-era UH-1N Huey helicopters that protect ICBM fields by more than a year, Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology, and Logistics Frank Kendall told lawmakers Wednesday. Responding to a question from Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) during a Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee hearing, Kendall said the service hasn’t made a final decision, but is looking into accelerating the switch to new helicopters by buying them for existing units before having an allocation of force in place first, as currently planned. In March, Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James told the House Armed Services Committee the service was considering sole-source and competitive processes. Kendall said a final decision has not yet been made, but he expects it “very, very soon.”
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
