President Obama earlier this month tapped Lt. Gen. James Kowalski to become the deputy commander of US Strategic Command at Offutt AFB, Neb., announced the Pentagon. Kowalski has overseen the Air Force’s Minuteman III ICBMs and nuclear-capable B-2 and B-52 bombers since January 2011 as head of Air Force Global Strike Command at Barksdale AFB, La. If the Senate approves this nomination, Kowalski would replace Vice Adm. Tim Giardina, who has been STRATCOM’s deputy commander since December 2011. Obama also nominated Maj. Gen. Stephen Wilson to receive a third star for his assignment as the next AFGSC boss, succeeding Kowalski. Wilson currently commands 8th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic) at Barksdale, which runs the nuclear-capable bomber force.
President Donald Trump projected confidence Nov. 19 that a proposed sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia will sail through the Foreign Military Sales process, an early test of the Pentagon’s acquisition reforms. The deal is also likely to face scrutiny from ally Israel over how it could affect the balance…




