Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said Tuesday there is “no doubt in the [Defense] Department about the validity” of the combat search and rescue mission, and the Air Force is going to buy new rescue helicopters to recapitalize its worn-out HH-60s. He made his comments during an Air Force Association-sponsored Air Force Breakfast Series presentation in Arlington, Va. Just one week ago, the Air Force issued a request for information, seeking input on suitable platforms for the new effort, which is now dubbed the “personnel recovery recapitalization” aircraft. Schwartz said the new platform would be “much less focused” on new development, as the stillborn CSAR-X was. USAF wants something “readily available” and not an elaborately redesigned machine, he noted, reiterating a theme that the service must settle for the adequate and not engage in “wishful thinking” in new acquisitions.
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
