The n
ation must preserve its “unparalleled airpower capabilities” to deter and defeat conventional competitors and respond to global crises, writes the new Administration in its newly issued defense agenda. (Full document) To do so, it calls for “greater investment in advanced technology,” ranging from “revolutionary capabilities” like unmanned aerial vehicles and electronic warfare systems “to essential systems” like the C-17 and KC-X tanker, “which provide the backbone” of global power projection. There is no mention of other Air Force systems, like the F-22 or F-35, by name.
A provision in the fiscal 2025 defense policy bill will require the Defense Department to include the military occupational specialty of service members who die by suicide in its annual report on suicide deaths, though it remains to be seen how much data the department will actually disclose.