Joined at the Hip

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org

The Air Force and Air National Guard will almost certainly see investment dollars directed into bolstering their legacy F-16 fighters in the upcoming Fiscal 2012 budget. However, the extent of those improvements to extend the service life of F-16 Block 30s and increase capability in newer generation F-16s will be closely tied to the health of the F-35 strike fighter program, said ANG Director Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt in a December interview. Wyatt said the Pentagon’s sweeping F-35 review is gauging that level of health, which Defense Department acquisition boss Ash Carter will then use to make decisions on the course of the F-35 program going forward. Those decisions will be reflected in the Fiscal 2012 budget. The ultimate number of F-16s that USAF will include in this work will depend on the conclusions that Carter draws from the F-35 review, said Wyatt. Continue

Audio of this article is brought to you by the Air & Space Forces Association, honoring and supporting our Airmen, Guardians, and their families. Find out more at afa.org