The Committee Defense Review report (see above), released Wednesday by the House Armed Services Committee, advocates increasing force structure across the board (force structure table) to ensure the US military can continue to wage a long-duration irregular campaign like the war on terror and conduct two simultaneous conventional campaigns. For the Air Force, the CDR recommends adding five air expeditionary forces to the current 10 AEFs. To equip those five new AEFs, the CDR recommends adding 680 airframes in a mix of fighters, bombers, and tactical airlifters, and 169 strategic airlifters and tankers.
The U.K. and the U.S. will continue to enjoy access to the ports, airfield, and workshops at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for at least another century, under a deal inked between the U.K. and Mauritius May 22.