Ash Carter became deputy defense secretary during a private swearing-in ceremony at the Pentagon Thursday. He replaced Bill Lynn, who stepped down after serving in that role since February 2009. Carter has been the Pentagon’s acquisition executive since April 2009 and has played a leading role in the Pentagon’s drive to shed overhead and operate more efficiently. The Senate last month unanimously approved Carter for the deputy post. (AFPS report by Karen Parrish)
With upgrades, F-16s can serve as a numbers-builder in the combat air forces until the 2040s, and it’s not necessary to launch its successor yet, program officials said at an industry conference. “We anticipate hundreds of F-16s in active service for decades to come,” meaning into the 2040s, Col. Tim…