In Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz’s speech at AFA’s Air & Space Conference Tuesday, he challenged both the Air Force and industry to think about the future and, as he told reporters afterwards, to take “a long view.” He wants industry to think beyond near-term business and profits and take a position commensurate with having programs that will stretch 30 years into the future. He also requested “unity.” Asked if he’s simply trying to tell the combined audiences that the old Air Force is gone and not coming back, Schwartz said: “I hope it didn’t come across that way. What I was trying to do was indicate that if people have concerns about the future, I’m no Pollyanna. These are tough times. And we will get through this. We’ll be okay. That was the message.”
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…
