The Sun News reports that Air Force and Boeing officials gathered Tuesday for a ceremony to recognize that the Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Georgia had completed depot maintenance on 200 C-17 airlifters. USAF first fielded the newest of its strategic airlifters in 1993. As the newspaper noted, Congress appropriated funds to bring the total number of C-17s to 223 over Pentagon objections. The new Air Force budget once again calls for a halt to C-17 production.
With key members of Congress wavering on the possibility of a $350 billion defense reconciliation bill, defense experts told Air & Space Forces Magazine that the Pentagon is likely drawing up budget backup plans—but such plans would face hard choices between high-end weapons and low-cost drones and other programs in…