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bipartisan group of 18 Senators wants the Senate to include funding in the Fiscal 2010 defense appropriations bill to buy 12 additional C-17s beyond the current program of record, aircraft that the Pentagon has not requested. Led by Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), they sent a letter on Aug. 19 to the chairman and ranking member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii) and Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.), respectively, requesting the additional aircraft. The Senate panel is slated to mark up its version of the defense spending measure after Congress returns from its August recess. Continue
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.