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.
An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.