(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - September 20, 2011: The US Air Force vowed Monday to "protect" costly weapons programs despite budget pressures, saying the country needed the F-35 fighter jet, a long-range bomber and other aircraft.
While acknowledging the need for reductions to the defense budget, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley proceeded to list several big ticket programs that were not up for negotiation.
"There are certain capabilities we will protect. We will apply best military judgment to oppose reductions that would cause irreparable harm," Donley told retired members of the Air Force in a speech.
The firm line taken by Donley comes as the Pentagon seeks to fend off possible deep budget reductions by lawmakers. Congress has to find a way to trim the country's deficit by a November 23 deadline or else automatic cuts will be triggered that could derail the Pentagon's budget plans.
With an aging fleet of fighter planes, it was crucial to build the next generation combat aircraft, the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, to ensure US air superiority, Donley said.
"With a fighter fleet now averaging 22 years old and with two decades of declining fighter force structure, modernizing our aging and smaller fighter force depends on the fifth generation capabilities of the Joint Strike Fighter," Donley said.
"Simply put, there is no alternative to the F-35 program. It must succeed," he said of the aircraft, which has been plagued by cost overruns and delays.
The F-35 has come under growing scrutiny amid speculation that the Pentagon may be forced to downsize the program, including possibly eliminating a version of the plane designed for short takeoffs and vertical landings.
The civilian head of the Air Force also argued for maintaining funds for a planned long-range bomber, space satellites, nuclear forces, unmanned robotic aircraft and benefits promised to service members when they joined.
Donley said that budget reductions would require the Air Force to accept "greater risk in some areas, terminate some lower priority programs, streamline others," but did not provide details.
In his speech to the Air Force Association, Donley also said that within 10 years the force could be "potentially smaller than in previous decades" but did not offer an estimate.
Related articles
AIR FORCE SENDS GROUNDED STEALTH FIGHTERS BACK INTO ACTION ... WITHOUT FIXING THEM
Four months after grounding its entire force of F-22 Raptors, the Air Force has cleared the roughly 170 high-tech stealth fighters to resume flying. Just one little problem: The brass still doesn't know why a dozen Raptor pilots blacked ...
"WE MUST MAINTAIN THE NUCLEAR TRIAD"
That's what Air Force Secretary Michael Donley told the Air Force Association's annual gathering Monday. I'm sure his statement has nothing to do with the fact that his service owns two -- bombers and land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles ...
F-22 FIGHTERS ALLOWED BACK IN THE AIR: US AIR FORCE
DAWN.com - 14 hours ago
WASHINGTON: The US Air Force said Monday its fleet of F-22 fighter jets will be allowed back in the air after officials grounded the planes over concerns about the aircraft's oxygen system. The F-22 Raptors, the most advanced combat aircraft in the ...
US ALLOWS F-22 FIGHTER JETS BACK IN SERVICE
Xinhua - 18 hours ago
WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- The US Air Force on Monday ended a four-month stand down for its F-22 Raptors fleet, allowing the jets to return to the service. According to an Air Force statement, Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Chief ...
U.S. AIR FORCE TO LIFT FLIGHT BAN ON LOCKHEED'S F-22 RAPTOR
The US Air Force will resume flights of Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT)'s F-22 Raptor this week, which has been grounded for four months after pilots suffered symptoms related to oxygen deprivation. ...
AIR FORCE CHIEF BACKS F-35 AS PENTAGON EYES DELAYS
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Air Force Secretary Michael Donley reaffirmed his commitment to the troubled F-35 Joint Strike Fighter on Monday, even as Pentagon officials considered further delaying production of the ...
F-22, WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE STEALTH FIGHTER, TO FLY AGAIN
America's F-22 Raptor, the world's most advanced and expensive stealth jet fighter, will be heading back into the skies to protect the homeland after a nearly five-month grounding due to oxygen problems, the Air Force announced today. ...
US AIR FORCE VOWS TO SPARE F-35 FROM BUDGET CUTS
AFP - Sep 19, 2011
WASHINGTON — The US Air Force vowed Monday to "protect" costly weapons programs despite budget pressures, saying the country needed the F-35 fighter jet, a long-range bomber and other aircraft. While acknowledging the need for reductions to the defense ...
AIR FORCE SECRETARY VOWS TO PROTECT F-35, NEW BOMBER FROM CUTS
Air Force Secretary Michael Donley called a new long-range bomber “essential” and said there is “no alternative” to the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as he pledged to protect some major weapons programs from ...
INDUSTRY FEARS BUDGET CUTS WILL DEVASTATE AEROSPACE SECTOR
National Defense Magazine (blog) - 25 minutes ago
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Looming defense cuts will lead to changes in the way the service does business with industry, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz. In a Sept. 20 keynote address at the Air Force Association Air and Space ...
F-22 RAPTORS SET TO RESUME FLYING
The nation's fleet of grounded F-22 Raptor fighter jets is set to resume flying after a four-month stand-down, according to senior US Air Force officials. "We now have enough insight from recent studies and investigations ...
ROBINS RELEASES INTERNAL TIMELINES FOR REDUCTION IN CIVILIAN WORKFORCE
by Gene Rector Robins Air Force Base officials know the timing for planned cuts to the installation's civilian workforce although the actual numbers have not been released. “We have not been provided a local target number, but we expect to receive that ...
DEFENSE INDUSTRY CALLS FOR INCENTIVES, NEW PROGRAMS
National Harbor: Officials from the major defense and aerospace firms urged the government to fund new programs or to provide incentives to spur innovation that would allow them to keep design teams working. Translation: spend money on ...
CSAF, CMSAF RELEASE VIDEOS REINFORCING RESILIENCY, WINGMEN CULTURE
9/20/2011 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- The Air Force chief of staff and chief master sergeant of the Air Force have released public service announcements Sept. 20 to reinforce the importance of resiliency and encourage all Airmen to look out ...
AIR FORCE WILL PRESERVE 'CORE CONTRIBUTIONS' DESPITE PRESSURES, CSAF SAYS
9/20/2011 - NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (AFNS) -- Air Force leaders are focused on managing potential budget constraints so that the service can continue to provide its unique contributions to national security, according to the Air Force ...
LANGLEY'S RAPTORS CLEARED TO FLY AFTER SAFETY STAND-DOWN
F-22 Raptor fighter jets are set to resume flying Wednesday at Joint Base Langley after a four-month safety stand-down, the Air Force announced today. The service grounded all 170 of the aircraft May 3 after 12 reports over three...
AIR FORCE OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE FY12 VOLUNTARY FORCE MANAGEMENT MEASURES
Air Force Link - 3 hours ago
9/20/2011 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Air Force leaders announced Sept. 9 the continuation of voluntary officer separation measures for fiscal 2012 as part of the services' ongoing force-management initiatives. In 2010 Air Force leaders ...
AIR FORCE CLEARS F-22 TO FLY AGAIN; IMPOSES EXTRA SAFETY MEASURES
National Harbor: The Air Force has cleared the nation's highest performance fighter, the F-22, for return to flight but the service, unable to pinpoint the reasons for at least one worrying incident of what clearly appeared to be hypoxia...
USAJOBS OCTOBER UPGRADE TO AFFECT JOB SEEKERS
9/20/2011 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- Air Force job seekers will notice changes to the USAJOBS website in mid-October, including stronger security procedures, elimination of unnecessary applicant profile questions, ...
US AIR FORCE LIFTS F-22 STAND DOWN
WWLP 22News - 4 hours ago
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (WAVY) - The Commander of Air Combat Command lifted the F-22 stand down this morning. Now, wing commanders can return their crews to flying as soon as possible. Gen. Mike Hostage made the decision following approval by ...
AIR FORCE ENDS F-22 STAND DOWN
WVEC.com (subscription) - 5 hours ago
Air Combat Command commander General Mike Hostage said, "I'm confident we've reached the point to begin a measured and incremental return to flying." The stand down was ordered in May after reports of oxygen system malfunction. ...
AIR FORCE CLEARS F-22 RAPTORS TO FLY
The Air Force has cleared its F-22 Raptor fleet to fly again after a four-month stand down. Peninsula residents should expect to see the familiar silhouette streaking across the skies in the coming days ...
'PORTRAITS IN COURAGE' VOL. VI: CORE VALUES, REAL TIME
9/20/2011 - WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Directing heat, jumping into raging waters, triaging under fire, powering relief efforts, or using a camera to alter outcomes; these are the actions taken by some of the 18 Airmen ...
AFTER MONTHS ON THE GROUND, THE F-22S ARE BACK IN THE AIR
After spending the better part of four months on the ground, Lockheed-Martin's F-22 Raptor superjets have been cleared to fly again as of today. Originally grounded in May after reports of oxygen issues, ...
F-22S TO BE AIRBORNE ON WEDNESDAY
by Gene Rector F-22 Raptors will again take to the skies apparently on Wednesday although aircraft and pilots will be subject to an implementation plan developed by Air Combat Command. The nation's newest, air superiority fighter jets have been under a ...
F-22 CLEARED FOR TAKE OFF
WJHG-TV - 8 hours ago
We'll soon be seeing Tyndall Air Force Base's F-22 Raptors back in the sky. After grounding the entire F-22 fleet back in May, the Air Force said Monday it is allowing the fighter jets back in the air. The Air Force grounded the aircraft after pilots ...
AF ACADEMY SHRINKING CADET CORPS
The Air Force Academy is reducing the size of its cadet corps as part of the service's efforts to live within budgetary constraints. By the end of 2012 the Colorado Springs-based service academy will slash its population by 10 percent, said academy ...
WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE FIGHTER JET IS BACK IN ACTION
Rediff - 14 hours ago
America's F-22 Raptor, the world's most advanced and expensive stealth jet fighter, will be heading back to the skies to protect the country after being grounded for nearly five months due to oxygen problems. The entire fleet of F-22s -- over 160 ...
THE F-22 IS BACK IN THE SKY! AND STILL KINDA BROKEN!
Remember when the Pentagon let the F-35 start flying again, even though its underlying defects hadn't been fixed? They just did literally the exact same thing with the F-22 Raptor. ...
F-22 TO RESUME FLIGHTS
The News Herald - 16 hours ago
TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE — After more than four-and-a-half months of being grounded, the F-22 Raptor once again will take to the skies. Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz on Monday announced an ...
PENTAGON NOTEBOOK: PANETTA TO ISSUE GUIDANCE ON HOW MILITARY SHOULD TALK CUTS
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- Defense Secretary Leon Panetta soon will issue special guidance spelling out how the military services should interact with Congress as further defense spending cuts loom, ...
FOR US AIR FORCE, THE COST OF OPERATING UNMANNED AIRCRAFT BECOMING 'UNSUSTAINABLE'
National Defense Magazine (blog) - 22 hours ago
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The fastest-growing occupation in the US Air Force — warzone surveillance — soon may be reaching its peak as the Defense Department looks for ways to cut costs. The deployment of Air Force remotely piloted spy aircraft across ...
REPLACING AIR FORCE ONE IS PART OF 10-YEAR PLAN
The Air Force will need to replace its two Boeing 747 presidential transport aircraft later this decade, at a time when defense spending is projected to decline. “We have recognized for several years now that the Air ...
AF: UAV PILOTS WILL EVENTUALLY OUTNUMBER OTHERS
Pilots of remotely piloted aircraft will become more prevalent in the Air Force than pilots of manned aircraft, the commander of the service's Air Education and Training Command said Monday. ...
F-22 GROUNDING ENDS WEDNESDAY
The F-22 Raptor will take to the air Wednesday after four months on the ground for safety reasons. Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz announced an end to the fleetwide stand-down Monday — first in a letter to Congress ...
DONLEY BACKS F-35, SERVICE'S CORE FUNCTIONS
Air Force Secretary Michael Donley on Monday reiterated his fervent support for the F-35 fighter program, but declined to discuss what programs or capabilities he might be willing to sacrifice as budgets come down. ...
US AIR FORCE VOWS TO PROTECT F-35 DESPITE BUDGET CONSTRAINT
Shanghai Daily (subscription) - Sep 19, 2011
WASHINGTON, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- The US Air Force will work to protect some expensive programs including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, despite budget constraint the Pentagon is facing, a senior official said on Monday. "There are certain capabilities ...
NEWS > SECAF ADDRESSES STATE OF THE AIR FORCE
9/19/2011 - NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. (AFNS) -- Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley addressed hundreds of Airmen, sister service members and industry leaders during the Air Force Association's 2011 Air & Space Conference ...
AFA: REPLACEMENT FOR AIR FORCE ONE 'IN OUR FUTURE'
The US Air Force will need to replace its two Boeing 747 presidential transport aircraft later this decade, at a time when defense spending is projected to decline. The US Air Force has replacing the presidential transport aircraft ...
REPLACEMENT TIMELINE FOR T-38 REMAINS MURKY
The Air Force needs to replace its aging fleet of T-38 Talon jet trainers, but when the service will be able to do so is an open question. Gen. Edward Rice, Air Education and Training Command chief, said Monday at the ...
PENTAGON REPORTEDLY MULLS LARGE JSF CUT
National Harbor: The Pentagon is reportedly weighing the benefits and risks of slashing 100 planes from the planned purchase of 2443 Joint Strike Fighters. Steve Burbage, Lockheed Martin's executive vice president in charge of the JSF ...
SECAF: LIKE IT OR NOT, NEW AIR FORCE ONE ON HORIZON
Air Force Secretary Michael Donley got peoples' attention when he broached the need for new “presidential support” aircraft in his keynote speech on Monday at the Air Force Association's trade show. ...
US AIR FORCE CLEARS F-22 FLEET FOR FLIGHT
The US Air Force is putting the F-22 back to work as of Sept. 21 with a new plan for making sure pilots have enough oxygen, Capitol Hill was told early Sept. 19. The Raptor fleet has been grounded ...
SECRETARY: AIR FORCE MAY GET SMALLER DUE TO BUDGET CUTS
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — The Air Force might have to shed people to absorb Pentagon budget cuts, Michael Donley, the service's secretary, said Monday. The service now has about 330000 active-duty personnel and ...
DONLEY REASSURES AIRMEN ON BENEFITS, RETIREMENT
The Air Force's top civilian promised airmen Monday that he will fight for pay and benefits that will keep the service competitive and assured them that their retirement plan would not be changed even though an overhaul ...
US NEEDS F-35 DESPITE TIGHT BUDGET: AIR FORCE CHIEF
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States needs the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and a new long-range bomber despite the difficult budget climate if it is to maintain US air dominance, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said on Monday....
AFA: BALANCE WILL BE KEY, SAYS USAF SECRETARY
US Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, in his opening remarks before the 2011 Air Force Association conference, said the service has to balance its priorities as the budget axes begin to fall. "As we look at the Air Force budget, ...
BUZZKILLING SECRETARY DONLEY BRINGS THE MALAISE, WARNS AIR FORCE CUTS ARE COMING
Air Force Secretary Michael Donley faced a huge ballroom on Monday morning ready to kick off the biggest Air Force conference of the year. But instead of giving them the old Rick Perry red meat and whipping the crowd into a frenzied, ...
AIR FORCE'S TOP CIVILIAN LEADER WARNS OF MORE 'BUDGET CHURN' AHEAD
National Defense Magazine (blog) - Sep 19, 2011
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. -- The standard-issue speech by Pentagon officials these days can be summed up like this: Budget cuts are necessary to fix the nation's finances, everything should be on the table, but don't forget that the US military is still at ...
AIR FORCE SECRETARY VOWS TO 'PROTECT' BIG-TICKET PROGRAMS IN PENTAGON BUDGET FIGHT
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Air Force Secretary Michael Donley on Monday signaled the service is ready for a fight and vowed to “protect” most big-ticket hardware programs from steep budget cuts. ...
US MUST KEEP NUKE TRIAD, F-35, SATELLITES, TANKER: AIR FORCE SECRETARY
National Harbor: Air Force Secretary Mike Donley pledged today to keep all three legs of America's nuclear triad, arguing that the rise of new nuclear powers makes the air, sea and land legs even more important. ...
AF SECRETARY: KEEP OUR FORCE INTACT
Air Force Secretary Michael Donley made the obligatory genuflections and concessions Monday in his keynote address at his service's big annual trade show outside Washington. ...
F-22 RAPTOR TO RESUME FLYING AFTER FOUR-MONTH STAND DOWN DUE TO SAFETY CONCERNS
Washington - The Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz have recently approved an implementation plan developed by Air Combat Command officials that will allow the F-22 Raptor to resume flight operations after ...
US AIR FORCE LIFTS F-22 STAND DOWN
FOX Toledo Online - 4 hours ago
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE, Va. (WAVY) - The Commander of Air Combat Command lifted the F-22 stand down Sept. 19. Now, wing commanders can return their crews to flying as soon as possible. The lift is nationwide, but it is up to each wing to determine when ...
AIR FORCE OFFICIALS ANNOUNCE CIVILIAN EARLY RETIREMENT, SEPARATION INCENTIVE ...
9/20/2011 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- The Air Force is implementing civilian Voluntary Early Retirement Authority and Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay programs, Air Force officials announced Sept. 19, 2011. ...
F-22, THE WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE STEALTH FIGHTER TO FLY AGAIN
Newstrack India - 14 hours ago
New York, Sep.20 (ANI): America's F-22 Raptor, the world's most advanced and expensive stealth jet fighter, will be heading back into the skies to protect the homeland after a nearly five-month grounding due to oxygen problems, the United States Air ...
*Speaking Image - Creation of DTN News ~ Defense Technology News
*This article is being posted from Toronto, Canada By DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News
Contact:
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS
©COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS
COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS
COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS
COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS
COPYRIGHT (C) DTN NEWS DEFENSE-TECHNOLOGY NEWS
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment