US foreign military sales exceeded $30 billion for the fourth consecutive year in Fiscal 2011, announced the Defense Security Cooperation Agency, which oversees the Pentagon’s transfer of military equipment to allies and friends. In total, DSCA recorded $34.8 billion in total equipment sales last fiscal year, which ended on Sept. 30. The bulk of that, or $28.3 billion, occurred under the government-to-government FMS program. The top three FMS customers were: Afghanistan ($5.4 billion), Taiwan ($4.9 billion), and India ($4.5 billion), according to the agency. Rounding out the top 10 were Australia ($3.9 billion), Saudi Arabia ($3.5 billion), Iraq ($2.0 billion), United Arab Emirates ($1.5 billion), Israel ($1.4 billion), Japan ($0.5 billion), and Sweden ($0.5 billion). DSCA forecasts that FMS sales will be around $30 billion in Fiscal 2012.
The World War I Centennial Commission officially raised the flag at the new National World War I Memorial in Washington, D.C., with a unique salute to the early days of air power. During the April 16 ceremony, two F-22s from the 94th Fighter Squadron at Joint Base Langley, Va., performed…