There will be a growing gap in cyber needs going forward as the Defense Department struggles with the pressure from reduced budgets and sequestration, said Lt. Gen. Michael Basla, the Air Force’s chief information officer. Speaking to media Sept. 17 at AFA’s 2013 Air and Space Conference, Basla said he sees the resources line staying “constant, at best,” but the requirements for cyberspace will go up, leaving a gap that will continue to increase, in respect to hardware, software, and people. “So we’ve got to deal with that gap,” he asserted. Basla added that while there may be a chance of a slight increase in resources, it would come at “the expense of other capabilities.”
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.