The US must continue to build and maintain partnerships with other nations because strong relationships can’t be built overnight and a coalition is critical in complex situations like the fight against ISIS, Maj. Gen. Lawrence Martin, assistant deputy undersecretary of the Air Force for international affairs, said Tuesday at an AFA-sponsored, Air Force breakfast. The US “firmly believes that we can’t go it alone” in Iraq and Syria, and strong coalitions take time and effort to develop, Martin said. Right now, 12 partner nations are participating in airstrikes against ISIS, Martin said. The coalition comprises several long-standing partners, like Australia, which brought a full package of aircraft, including fighters, airborne early warning control aircraft, a tanker, and air mobility aircraft, as well as partners from the Gulf region, including Bahrain, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and UAE. But partnerships aren’t limited to building air?power capacity and capability, Martin said. The US is seeking new opportunities to cooperate on space and cyberspace, and already has space situational awareness agreements to allow information sharing with eight partner countries, he said.
Sticker Shock Drags Out USAF’s E-7 Negotiations with Boeing
April 18, 2024
While a deal on the E-7 Wedgetail airborne battle management jet may come soon, negotiations are stuck on the high price Boeing is asking for the development jets, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said recently.