Defense Secretary Robert Gates told Air Force Academy cadets that he doesn’t foresee any more major weapons program cancellations happening in the next year or two. “I think we’re in pretty good place right now because of the measures that we’ve taken over the last couple of years, ” he said in response to a cadet’s question following his address last week in Colorado Springs. He added. “But we’ll just have to see how serious the budget situation gets.” Gates said the Pentagon has “done a good job of imposing some discipline internally” to cut or curtail redundant and non-performing acquisition projects. Of the 33 major programmatic changes that he proposed to Congress in 2009, DOD has been able to implement 32 so far, he said. Other than the proposed termination of the Marine Corps Expeditionary Fighting Vehicle in Fiscal 2012, only the F136 engine’s fate remains unresolved, he said. (Gates transcript)
The U.S. Air Force carried out deportation flights to Ecuador and Guatemala earlier this week, U.S. officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine, as the Pentagon continues to fly migrants out of the country at the direction of President Donald Trump. U.S. aircrews participating in the deportation missions have included…