After meeting with Russian officials over the weekend, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the country would be open to Russian aircraft using Incirlik Air Base to launch strikes against ISIS—a move the USAF would not support. Yildirim on Saturday said that Russia did not request to use the base during the meeting, though Turkey would be open to the idea, the Turkish news agency Anadolu reported. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James, speaking to the Kurdish news agency Rudaw, said she “would not be OK” with Russia sharing the base with US airmen and aircraft. “Of course people can talk about different things. That’s different from actually coming to an agreement and making such a deal,” she said.
Aircraft readiness will suffer if Congress does not approve some $1.5 billion worth of spare parts the Air Force requested in its annual Unfunded Priorities List, sent to Capitol Hill last week, Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin said.