The Air Force has requested $110.1 billion in its USAF-specific baseline budget proposal for Fiscal 2013 and another $14.3 billion in overseas contingency funds, according to service budget officials. When factoring the additional $29.9 billion that falls under Air Force accounts, but supports joint initiatives, such as ISR, the service’s total Fiscal 2013 spending request amounts to $154.3 billion, they said. That total is $8.2 billion (five percent) less than the $162.5 billion enacted in Fiscal 2012, they said on Monday in unveiling the spending proposal. “This request reflects difficult decisions required to balance near-term operational readiness with longer term needs,” states the Air Force’s official budget overview document. “The priorities articulated and funded in this budget request achieve the balance required to support the Air Force core functions, force structure, readiness, and modernization that enable us to fly, fight, and win in air, space, and cyberspace.” Continue to Reflecting Difficult Decisions.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.