Although Gen. Norton Schwartz, USAF Chief of Staff, acknowledged Wednesday during an Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis-Fletcher School conference in Washington, D.C., that the planned slowdown in F-35 strike fighter production (see above, The “Less Ambitious” F-35 Program) would leave the Air Force with “less margin” for its aging fighter force, he said the service still plans to cut a number of legacy fighters this year. That is, if it can get Congress on board. The Air Force announced its plan last spring to retire early about 250 F-15s, F-16s, and A-10s from active and reserve units. Since then, lawmakers have asked for more details, and finally included language in the 2010 defense appropriations bill that would temporarily delay such retirements pending a report by USAF.
Details Murky as ARRW Falls Short in Second Test
March 24, 2023
The second all-up flight of the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon on March 13 fell short of a fully successful test, but the Air Force isn’t saying what went wrong with the Lockheed Martin-built hypersonic missile. The defense giant's Missiles and Fire Control division recently said the ARRW is "ready…