Adm. James Winnefeld, US Northern Command and NORAD boss, told reporters Thursday in Washington, D.C., that he is concerned about potential capability gaps in the domestic air defense mission, particularly against low and slow moving threats. “In terms of the high end, we have the F-16, an aircraft which is more than capable for the mission,” he said. Winnefeld cited the F-16’s ability to respond rapidly, cruise at high altitude, and take decisive action against threats, if needed. However, he also noted there are “some missions that are hard for an F-16 to do,” particularly responding to low, slow threats, such as the small aircraft that a pilot purposely flew into an IRS building in February in Austin, Tex. “I’m not ready to express a requirement for this, but I’m interested in a slower, lighter aircraft . . . that could potentially fill in some gaps,” he said.
Former AFCENT Commander Reflects on Lessons of Epic Fury
Sept. 13, 2026
Operation Epic Fury marked the U.S. military's largest air campaign in a generation, with strikes on 13,000 targets in Iran before the first in a series of shaky ceasefires began in April. Now, even as hostilities continue to flare up, Lt. Gen. Derek C. France sees several clear lessons that…
