Maj. Gen. Frank Faykes, USAF’s budget director, confirmed that the 2007 defense budget proposal permits USAF to squeeze out four more F-22A fighters—for a total of 183 fighters—and extend deliveries through 2012 until F-35s start rolling out, as General Wood explained above. The 2007 spending plan calls for $2.9 billion to cover primarily the subassembly work for 20 Raptors and some advance procurement costs. The Air Force would restructure the program to produce 20 fighters per year from fiscal 2008 to 2010. For the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, USAF wants $3.1 billion to cover F-35 systems development and demonstration work, low rate initial production for first five aircraft, and advanced procurement funds for eight JSFs.
Air Force Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost—a trailblazer and one of the first 10 women to reach a four-star rank across the U.S. military—retired and passed control of U.S. Transportation Command to Air Force Gen. Randall Reed on Oct. 4, finishing an eventful tenure at TRANSCOM.