Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), speaking at a Montgomery Chamber of Commerce event on Feb. 16, said he does not believe Congress will go for another round of base closures since it is “still digesting the last BRAC,” reports the Maxwell-Gunter Dispatch. Others have taken an opposite view, at least they did almost two years ago before the economy took a nosedive. Some see a new BRAC as inevitable as the Pentagon strains under its budget and the services, certainly the Air Force, believe they still have excess infrastructure. In Shelby’s view, though, the focus should be on “challenges down the road” for our “over-stretched” military.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.