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.
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…
