International and industry partnerships will become even more “crucial” as the Defense Department begins to reduce the size of its forces and looks to cut costs wherever possible, said Lt. Gen. Richard Newton, USAF’s assistant vice chief of staff. Speaking at an Air Force Association-Air Force breakfast program event on Tuesday, Newton said the Air Force has had “225 agreements with 33 nations from four NATO organizations” since 2004. Such partnerships have led to major success stories, such as the multinational C-17 airlift wing at Papa AB, Hungary, he said. “There will be tough decisions that have to be made about our force structure and modernization, and it’s hard to predict the future, but we will persevere and make sure we provide the best force possible,” said Newton.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
