During a May 19 House Armed Services Committee budget hearing, several lawmakers questioned Gen. Norton Schwartz, Chief of Staff, about curtailment of F-22 production at only 187 aircraft and insistence by DOD officials that those 187 aircraft met military need. In one instance, Schwartz’s response was short and sweet: “Two forty-three is the right number and 187 is the affordable force.”
The Air Force Research Lab has awarded quantum computing firm IonQ a $7.5 million follow-on contract to bridge the gap between the lab and the field for the highly advanced technology.