Maj. Gen. William Shelton, commander of Air Force Space Command’s 14th Air Force—provider of space assets to combatant commanders—reminded attendees Friday at AFA’s Los Angeles Space Symposium that US national security is “critically dependent on space.” Shelton said US enemies already have compromised our security in all four domains: air, land, space, and cyberspace. To defeat these security breaches, he said the US must start ensuring space situational awareness. And, according to Shelton, “We are going to spend quite a bit of money” to do so.
As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.