Joining an elite group of 10 F-16 fighter pilots who have broken the 4,000 flying-hour mark in a Viper is Col. William Binger, deputy commander of the 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group, Balad AB, Iraq.
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major programs.

