Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) says that last week’s markup of the 2008 defense authorization bill by the Senate Armed Services Committee does not include additional funding he wanted for Cannon AFB, N.M., to support the switch to Air Force Special Operations Command. In a statement, Domenici said he and other New Mexico lawmakers had requested authorization for an additional $68 million for unfunded military construction requirements. He said it would have been “helpful for the committee to address these needs initially, but this is just one step on the long road toward the final FY2008 defense bills becoming law.” Domenici also didn’t get the $19.5 million he wanted to jump-start the beddown of the F-22 at Holloman AFB, N.M. He said the funding would have ensured “as seamless a transition as possible,” but the base is “on track to receive F-22s in a timely manner to replace F-117s.”
Due to the prolonged delay in deliveries of the Tech Refresh 3 version of the F-35 fighter, Denmark is pulling six of its TR-2-configured F-35 jets stationed in the U.S. back to home base in order to consolidate aircraft and get better training for its pilots and maintainers, the Danish…