In addition to increasing fighter pilot production, the Air Force also intends to “normalize the MC-12”, maintain mobility pilot inventory at sustainable levels, and “scrub” rated requirements based on “inventory realities,” wrote Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz in a Nov. 2 letter to major commands and the Air Staff outlining decisions made at a recent Rated Summit. “Your continued candor and willingness to make the tough calls will help to ensure the viability and sustainability of our rated force as we work to rebalance the rated training pipeline,” wrote Schwartz (See above). “We must move quickly on these decisions in order to synchronize with other major programmatic efforts.” Future summits, which Schwartz said should be conducted on a more regular basis, will look at how force structure changes are impacting the health of the rated force, he wrote. (Schwartz letter)
The Pentagon's research labs are ramping up their search for munitions that can be mass-produced—an effort likely to be buoyed by billions of dollars in the department's new fiscal 2027 budget request and tens of billions in the upcoming years. While the topline information shared about the President’s defense budget…