That’s what Michele Flournoy, under secretary of defense for policy nominee for the Obama Administration, told the Senate Armed Services Committee last week during her confirmation hearing. “I think our objective in Afghanistan has got to be to create a more stable and secured environment that allows longer-term stabilization and prevents Afghanistan from returning to being a safe haven for terrorism,” Flournoy said during her Jan. 15 appearance when discussing the buildup of US forces in the Central Asian nation. Flournoy said the new Administration’s strategy will employ all elements of national power and work closely with the Afghan government, international partners, and NATO. She said President Obama and Defense Secretary Robert Gates are committed to developing this strategy as an “early priority.”
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.