In light of the Air Force’s financial woes—and its inability to fund even some fundamental requirements—a reporter asked Secretary Michael Donley Friday whether the United States’ ability to project global power is in decline. “I certainly don’t believe that at all,” Donley responded during his media availability at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla. He added, “The United States is still—and as far as I can tell, will remain—an essential force for stability in international security.”
The Air Force plans to finalize an acquisition strategy for its new Looking Glass nuclear command, control, and communications program by September—part of a prelude to a significant increase in the service’s NC3 spending in the coming years.