Air Force Gen. Norton Schwartz, head of US Transportation Command, said Monday at AFA’s Air & Space Conference that the 10 additional C-17s likely to be approved by Congress won’t throw a monkey wrench into plans for the Civil Reserve Air Fleet. Schwartz has said that more C-17s would take money away from CRAF contracts, which are needed to supplement the airlift fleet. Schwartz told Air Force Magazine that “my number is about 200” C-17s in total before fleet operating cost starts to dig into CRAF money. With 10 more C-17s the total would stand at 191.
The Space Force awarded three contracts for rocket launches worth up to a combined $13.68 billion on April 4—and the usual players SpaceX and United Launch Alliance have got some competition in the form of newcomer Blue Origin.