The full House Armed Services Committee supports the markups of its subcommittees on several programs, including the need to keep the C-17 line open, so increased the budget request by $2.4 billion to procure 10 more of the new airlifters. It also would allow USAF to retire C-5As, providing it maintains 299 strategic airlifters, provide for continuation of the alternate F-35 Joint Strike Fighter engine, and limit Joint Cargo Aircraft funding, pending completion of the ongoing intratheater airlift study. On the personnel side, the house authorizers would prohibit a Tricare fee increase for military retirees and boost military pay by 3.5 percent.
The Next-Generation Air Dominance Fighter is Air Combat Command’s top priority, because without it, the Air Force can’t provide the control of the air the whole military depends on to operate, Air Combat Command chief Gen. Mark D. Kelly said. He also named a replacement for the E-3 AWACS, new…