The Air Force has issued a “prospectus” on Cannon AFB, N.M., distributing it throughout the federal government, and plans to hold informal workshops in the Washington, D.C., area on March 9 and 10 and in New Mexico in April and May, say Sen. Pete Domenici (R-N.M.) and Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.). Those actions signal solid steps forward in finding a new mission for Cannon, according to the two Senators. Both say they believe a military mission would be best, but they acknowledge that opening the process to all federal agencies was part of the BRAC 2005 plan. The Air Force also told them that USAF will refer its decision on Cannon’s future to DOD this summer. (Brochure and fact sheet.)
The second version of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft should have more capability than the first but mustn't be an "exquisite" and expensive platform that would defeat the notion of "affordable mass," outgoing Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said.