By unanimous vote, the Senate on Wednesday approved the nomination of Army Gen. David Petraeus to be commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, replacing Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal who was removed last week. President Obama, who nominated Petraeus June 23, thanked the Senate for acting quickly. “Petraeus is a pivotal part of our effort to succeed in Afghanistan,” said Obama. Petraeus’ “unrivaled experience,” coupled with the Senate’s expeditious action, “will ensure we do not miss a beat in our strategy to break the Taliban’s momentum and build Afghan capacity,” added Obama. Petraeus has been serving as head of US Central Command. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. John Allen, CENTCOM deputy commander, will serve as acting commander until a replacement for Petraeus is in place. (AFPS report by Jim Garamone) (Obama statement)
The F-47 fighter will be run differently than previous fighter programs and share the same mission systems architecture as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin told the Senate Armed Services Committee. That means advances in one will fuel advances in the other.