The Air Force needs to revitalize its industrial preparedness program, retired Lt. Gen. Richard Scofield said at the AFA conference. The process came into being in 1947 and has helped introduce new manufacturing methods and streamline acquisition, according to the former program director for the F-117 stealth fighter and B-2 stealth bomber. “IPP has enabled the Air Force to deliver more bang for the buck with an average return on investment of $5 to $10 for every dollar spent,” he said. The program fell by the wayside for a host of reasons, explained Scofield. He cited the merger of Air Force Systems Command and Air Force Logistics Command and consolidation within the defense industry as two chief reasons.
A record investment in research and development by the Department of the Air Force will help the United States win the long-term technology race with China, even while shrinking the fleet size before a possible mid-decade Taiwan contingency, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said May 17. “With the Air Force,…