Many wonder why Gordon England, the Pentagon’s No. 2, is not a supporter of the F/A-22 fighter. Presumably, he would be a fan; after all, he had been president of Lockheed’s Fort Worth fighter business, which builds part of the Raptor, and as such he is very familiar with its revolutionary capabilities. However, before England was a Lockheed man, he was a General Dynamics man, the head of GD’s Fort Worth fighter operation. When Lockheed bought it, the new owner’s Marietta, Ga., headquarters–home of the F/A-22 operation–took over, and the Texans weren’t pleased with their treatment. There’s “no love lost” between the Marietta Mafia and the Fort Worth people, says a close observer. England actually left Lockheed and went back to GD corporate in 1997, where he served until he joined the Bush team in 2001. –from John Tirpak.
New Budget Deal Could Cost USAF Up to $14 Billion
March 12, 2025
The Air Force would suffer the loss of billions of dollars of buying power under a yearlong Continuing Resolution, only somewhat mitigated by proposals that would allow it to pursue new starts, Lt. Gen. Adrian Spain, deputy chief of staff for operations, told the readiness subcommittee of the Senate Armed…