It’s not been determined when the Air Force will pursue a replacement for the HH-60 Combat Search and Rescue aircraft, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz told reporters Tuesday. “We prefer not to SLEP [perform a Service Life Extension Program on] the HH-60,” he said, but he couldn’t promise the new airplane will be in the budget soon. “We are committed to [recapitalizing] these machines and we’ll do that as rapidly as our topline … will allow.” He said the mission is one all the services count on the Air Force to perform, and it will be supported. USAF wants an “off the shelf” platform as the next CSAR aircraft, fitted with the specialized gear necessary for it to “go downtown,” Schwartz said.
Trainees in Basic Military Training and technical school no longer have the option to try alternate PT drills if they fail an initial assessment, according to a policy change the Air Force made in April. The move is part of a larger shift out of the classroom and into hands-on,…