If the Air Force secures Congress’ permission to retire 17 C-5A transports in Fiscal 2011, one Air National Guard and one Air Force Reserve unit likely would lose their C-5s as new C-17s are brought on to replace them, says Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. That’s “what it looks like to me now,” he told House lawmakers March 10. Schwartz said he didn’t know specifically what installations would be affected, but he would keep Congress apprised of developments on this front. There’s still a long way to go before the Air Force may phase out any C-5As. There is a standing Congressional ban on C-5 retirements. And, although the defense oversight committees seem more willing to accommodate the Air Force’s wishes, the Pentagon still owes Congress several studies on the C-5 and overall airlift fleets before the prohibition may be rescinded. (See Overcapacity above)
The Space Development Agency says it’s on track to issue its next batch of missile warning and tracking satellite contracts this month after those awards were delayed by the Pentagon’s decision to divert funds from the agency to pay troops during this fall’s prolonged government shutdown.
