Airmen will continue to play a critical role that is essential to the joint fight and the Defense Department’s emerging strategy, despite looming budget cuts, said Erin Conaton, Air Force undersecretary. “We are a central part of any high-end, anti-access/area denial fight with our fifth generation fighters, penetrating bombers, and a range of advanced weapons and enabling capability,” she said at AFA’s Air & Space Conference Tuesday. “We maintain two legs of the nation’s nuclear triad. Across the spectrum of conflict, our cyber and space enablers along with our command and control, ISR, legacy fighter and bomber fleets, personnel recovery efforts, and tremendous lift and refueling capabilities, pay dividends for the joint force.” However, there are going to be some serious discussions and tough choices about how to properly balance force structure, modernization, and readiness. And, both government and industry will have to work together to make every dollar count.
The Thunderbirds will kick off their 2021 season on April 17, debuting an overhauled aerial performance routine following a 2020 air show season largely canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The U.S. Air Force Demonstration Team will debut the new routine at the Cocoa Beach Air Show in Florida April…