In the just passed 2007 defense authorization bill, Congress prohibits the Air Force from retiring any U-2 high flying reconnaissance aircraft in 2007 and requires a stringent certification of no need in subsequent years. Lawmakers want the Secretary of Defense to certify that U-2s “no longer contribute to mitigating any gaps” in intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance capabilities as “identified in the Quadrennial Defense Review,” according to a House Armed Services Committee summary.
The Air Force has started the process of shutting down its diversity and inclusion offices and boards to comply with a sweeping Executive Order from President Donald Trump, though the process is still ongoing, an official told Air & Space Forces Magazine.