Ashton Carter was sworn in on Monday as the Pentagon’s acquisition czar, replacing John Young, who had stayed on for the interim after the Bush Administration left office. President Obama nominated Carter, a Harvard physicist, for the post in March after identifying Carter for the position back in February. Carter rejoins the Pentagon after having served as assistant secretary of defense for international security policy under the first Clinton Administration from 1993 to 1996. Last week, Alabama’s two Senators, Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) and Sen. Richard Shelby (R), lifted their opposition to Carter’s confirmation vote after Carter reaffirmed to them his commitment to an open and fair process in the KC-X tanker recapitalization.
The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is behind schedule and may significantly overrun its expected cost, which could partially explain why the service is reviving the hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid-Response Weapon.