The rest of the Air Force’s top 25 unfunded priorities for Fiscal 2008 (see above) includes such things as new engines and night vision goggles for HH-60G combat search and rescue helicopters; six additional MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicles to spur Air National Guard transition to the new mission; money for permanent change of station moves for nearly 27,000 airmen; money to increase aircraft depot maintenance capability—considered a readiness issue; six more A-10 wings, without which the service will have to ground some Warthogs beginning in 2011; funds to jumpstart selection of a replacement for the service’s UH-1Ns, most of which cover Air Force Space Command’s missile fields; and assorted other priorities from space capabilities to homeland defense. There are also another 80 items in a non-ranked list of “remaining requirements” that are important but not funded in the Administration’s 2008 defense budget request.
In a show force over the Pacific, the U.S. conducted separate bilateral exercises with South Korea and Japan in response to North Korea’s May 24 ballistic missile test. The North’s test reportedly included an intercontinental ballistic missile, launched while President Joe Biden flew home from the region. Also on May…