Asked at the Senate Armed Services Committee hearing last week on the proposed Fiscal 2011 Air Force budget whether the service is on track to fulfill requirements under the Weapons Systems Acquisition Reform Act, signed into law last May, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley replied, “We’re making good progress.” Donley emphasized that the service has added nine program executive officers to its acquisition force “to reduce the span of control and give these senior officers more time to spend on fewer numbers of programs.” He also noted that USAF increased its acquisition force by 700 last year and planned to add “several thousands” over the next five years.
The Pentagon is significantly bolstering airpower near Venezuela, dispatching the USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group to Latin America, it said in an Oct. 24 statement. The announcement came just hours after U.S. Air Force B-1 bombers and other U.S. assets flew near the Venezuelan coast on Oct. 23.
