House and Senate conferees working on the 2007 defense authorization bill have agreed to include money for the Army-Air Force Joint Cargo Aircraft program, reports the Congressional newspaper The Hill. The Senate had voted to cut the funds, sparking dismay within the Army, which says it needs the aircraft sooner than does the Air Force. The funds were cut from the Army accounts, but sources told The Hill that conferees had put JCA dollars in the Air Force line. However, nothing is final yet.
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.