The Air Force is negotiating with Lockheed Martin on the cost and pace of shutting down the F-22 production line, says David Van Buren, the service’s acquisition executive. During a June 18 media roundtable, Van Buren said the Air Force is conducting a “business case analysis” of what will be needed for F-22 sustainment (e.g., the availability of replacement wings) and hopes to have it concluded in the next few months. Until then, he said it’s premature to say how much shutting down the line will cost, or just how much F-22 tooling will be retained. Back in 2008, a RAND study estimated that shuttering the line for good would cost about $85 million. Van Buren noted that the Air Force recently conducted a similar line shutdown review with Boeing on the C-17, and that one went very well. (See also Closing Thoughts and Multiyear Shutdown from the Daily Report archives.)
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…
