US Africa Command may have the lead in Operation Odyssey Dawn—the coalition effort to end bloodshed against civilians in Libya—but officials are working to transfer that power to coalition forces “as expeditiously as possible,” said Army Gen. Carter Ham, AFRICOM boss. Before that can happen, though, a new headquarters must be identified. “It’s not so simple as having a handshake somewhere and saying, ‘You are now in charge,'” Ham told Pentagon reporters Monday via a satellite connection from his office in Germany. He added, “There are some very complex, technical things that need to occur,” such as ensuring aircrews are not put at risk and air operations are not disrupted. “We want to accomplish the transition as expeditiously as we possibly can. I don’t see this being a prolonged process,” said Ham, who declined to offer a timeline for the transition. (Ham transcript)
Lockheed Martin plans to enter the Advanced Tactical Trainer fray to supply the Air Force with a new jet to bridge between undergraduate flight instruction and fighter training units, but declined to say whether it will offer a T-50A derivative, a different non-developmental airplane, or a clean-sheet design. It's comments…