We guess Air Force officials made their case about getting a few more C-17 airlifters to serve as replacements as the heavily used airlifters wear down, or, it could be that lawmakers just consider the Pentagon-imposed cap of 180 an arbitrary number. Either way, House appropriators sided with House and Senate authorizers by adding money to the 2007 defense bill to purchase more C-17s. (House appropriators added $789 million to replace three C-17s.) The effect, if passed by the House and Senate, would be to extend Boeing’s C-17 line beyond the expected 2008 shutdown date.
Demonstrating capabilities needed for its Agile Combat Employment concept of operating from scattered locations with a minimal logistics footprint, the Air Force flew an MQ-9 Reaper remotely-piloted aircraft across the Pacific, operating with none of its usual launch-and-recovery gear and with non-expert ground crews. It required only seven people and…