At the Projection Forces Subcommittee hearing last night, Rep. Jim Marshall (D-Ga.) asked whether the Air Force would prefer to buy more C-17s or recapitalize its tanker fleet. Lt. Gen. Donald Hoffman, military deputy for acquisition, said the service is serious about recapitalizing the KC-135 fleet effectively and quickly. (Read his written testimony here.) Hoffman revealed that on Monday when he met with the Chief of Staff, Gen. Michael Moseley, Moseley said, “I’ll take the first tanker before I take the 181st C-17.”
Unmanned aerial vehicles and autonomous aircraft may provide a solution to operating in heavily contested domains such as the Taiwan Straits, according to a panel of expert who suggested operationalizing artificial intelligence for such purposes sooner rather than later. The group gathered virtually to help launch the Mitchell Institute for…