Gen. Tom Hobbins hasn’t been on the job as commander of US Air Forces in Europe long, but he is confident in the direction of the command, reports Air Force journalist MSgt. Chuck Roberts. Hobbins served as USAFE’s director of operations in 1999 during Operation Allied Force, but he is out and about, talking with current USAFE airmen to assess the operation. “I’m really here to listen at first and try to understand what it is that people are doing and what it is they would see us do to make the team better,” Hobbins said. One big change is the shift of USAFE from a primarily fighter-based command to one that includes a hefty mobility mission.
China thinks it will be able to invade Taiwan by 2027 and has developed a technology edge in many key areas—but it is artificial intelligence that may be the decisive factor should conflict erupt, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said.