Although Gen. Norton Schwartz, USAF Chief of Staff, acknowledged Wednesday during an Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis-Fletcher School conference in Washington, D.C., that the planned slowdown in F-35 strike fighter production (see above, The “Less Ambitious” F-35 Program) would leave the Air Force with “less margin” for its aging fighter force, he said the service still plans to cut a number of legacy fighters this year. That is, if it can get Congress on board. The Air Force announced its plan last spring to retire early about 250 F-15s, F-16s, and A-10s from active and reserve units. Since then, lawmakers have asked for more details, and finally included language in the 2010 defense appropriations bill that would temporarily delay such retirements pending a report by USAF.
Lt. Gen. Stephen L. Davis, the Department of the Air Force’s top internal watchdog, has been nominated to lead Air Force Global Strike Command, which oversees the service’s bombers and intercontinental ballistic missiles.