Lt. Gen. Craig McKinley, director of the Air National Guard, will not be losing personnel as part of the Total Force’s reduction of 40,000 airmen, but that concession came at a price. To pay for its airmen, McKinley said at AFA’s Air & Space Conference Tuesday that the Guard had to shave $1.8 billion from its accounts. The ANG managed this by cutting its flying hours, repair, and military construction accounts. Most Air Force major commands will be shedding personnel, but the Air Guard is not alone in staving off reductions—Air Force Special Operations Command will actually be increasing in size.
The Pentagon’s head of research and engineering is prioritizing technologies that can penetrate and operate inside highly contested enemy territory. Top among them are artificial intelligence and autonomy. Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Heidi Shyu said other priorities on the list include creating the technology and standards for…