To make the Air Force’s future scheme work of having a smaller, yet more capable fighter force, Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said yesterday he’ll need “everybody’s cooperation.” This means, Schwartz told attendees at his Heritage Foundation speech in Washington, D.C. (see above), that members of the active duty, Air National Guard, and Air Force Reserve better get used to the idea that “we’re going to be a smaller Air Force and a smaller Total Force.” Not everyone who has a flying mission now will have one in a few years, Schwartz said, noting that he’s shared this fact with the state Adjutants General, and it came as “no surprise to them.” Schwartz said, “All of us need to acknowledge that there are changes afoot.” He said he wasn’t making any “ultimatums,” just recognizing the realities of the fiscal situation. “The key thing is for us to prepare to collaborate on how we get there,” he said and added, “The F-35 is going to be the core of our capability.”
NATO Scrambles Fighter in Newest Response to Russian Drones
Sept. 16, 2025
NATO scrambled its first fighter Sept. 13 under its new plan to bolster its defenses against Russian air incursions that was put into place after an array of Russian drones flew into Polish airspace last week, the officials from the alliance’s military command said.
