If what we heard late Thursday is accurate, the Senate Armed Services Committee has blessed Gen. Norton Schwartz to be Air Force Chief of Staff and Gen. Duncan McNabb to replace him at US Transportation Command. Early on Thursday, ABC News had reported that Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), committee chairman, planned to “postpone action” on the Schwartz nomination because of lingering questions over his Congressional testimony from 2003. Now, we hear, Schwartz and McNabb are cleared for full Senate confirmation, but that the nomination of Michael Donley to be Air Force Secretary is still on hold. Stay tuned.
To Replace Lost MQ-9s, USAF Eyes Next-Gen Reaper
May 13, 2026
The Air Force is looking at ways to rapidly replace some of the roughly two dozen MQ-9A Reaper drones it has lost as part of operations against Iran, top service officials told lawmakers May 12.