The Eye of the Beholder: Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England took exception with Air Force leaders who would rather retire C-5As and buy additional C-17s with the savings. England told the Senate Armed Services Committee Wednesday, “In my judgment, this will come out that we will upgrade the C-5s.” The Air Force plans to ask lawmakers to remove a Congressional restriction on retiring the C-5As. England admits that “people are still, frankly, looking at this issue,” but he maintains that it’s a question of “timing”—the C-5s are needed.
Amid NATO’s continued push to ramp up air defenses in Eastern Europe, Secretary of the Air Force Frank Kendall swung by seven allied countries to boost relations last week, including those on Russia’s and Ukraine’s doorstep.