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Show HILLTOP TIMES Develop new aircraft or risk irrelevancy, general says HSop TIMES March 13, 2008 BY STAFF SGT. JASON LAKE Air University Public Affairs M AXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. — The commander of Air Force Materiel Command, which is responsible for delivering war-winning capabilities to the rest of the Air Force, said during a visit to Air University that the Air Force must develop and buy new aircraft or risk becoming irrelevant. The Air Force must be careful not to be outclassed in the next war, said Gen. Bruce Carlson shortly after speaking with Air War College and Squadron Officer School students Feb. 27 about the importance of recapitalizing the Air Force's aging fleet to maintain air dominance. "Soon we could be flying against aircraft and air defense systems that our older aircraft were not intended to fly against," Carlson said. "And if we don't have the freedom to operate in hostile territories, we risk fighting the next conflict on our home territory." The recapitalization crisis Air Force leadership sees today is a side effect of the United States' winning the Cold War, Carlson said. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States took on the title of the world's only remaining superpower. As a result, national priorities shifted away from defense projects. "The decision was made to reduce the defense budget for more domestic priorities because there was no longer a threat," the general explained. "This is when we went on what has been called a 'procurement holiday.'" kans in the late 1990s. In recent years, Carlson said, required maintenance on the F-15 has skyrocketed . to 600-700 hours more than official estimates. Last November, pne of the older F-15 models assigned to the Missouri Air National Guard broke in half during a routine training mission, prompting the Air Force to ground the entire F-15 inventory for several weeks. "We're getting into unknown territory because we've been flying airframes longer than expected," Carlson said. "We didn't build these aircraft to last this long, and we didn't expect to see corrosion of this magnitude. The F-15 is expected to remain in service until it's more than 40" years old. At this rate, maintenance costs U.S. Air Force are going to kill us." Gen. Bruce Carlson, commander of Air In a recent Associated Press report, one Force Materiel Command, says he will senior Air Force official talked about the work to reinvigorate the acquisition serious effects caused by the high operaprocess and to focus on development, tions tempo and G-force stress on older acquisition and sustainment programs fighters. Gen. John Corley, Air Combat that will follow the Hfespan of Air Force Command commander, said flight hours airframes from cradle to grave. on aircraft like the F-15 could be compared to "dog years." Unlike Army and Marine Corps assets As China continues to modernize its that were able to reconstitute after Operamilitary forces, and Russian aircraft tion Deseit Storm in 1991, Carlson said continue to test American responses near the Air Force has remained in an almost Alaska and Japan, the Air Force is at a constant state of "war" for more than 17 critical point in maintaining air, space and years. cyberspace dominance, Carlson said. Leading up to Operation Iraqi Freedom "There are others out there who are in 2003, Air Force aircraft were charged with enforcing the no-fly zones in Iraq for trying to build up their airpower so they can exert their will over us," he said. more than a decade as part of Operations On the aerial refueling front, Air Force Northern and Southern Watch. Additionleaders made a major announcement ally, Air Force aircraft also spearheaded Feb. 29 that Northrop Grumman had been NATO's strategic bombing campaign against the Serbian government in the Bal- awarded a contract to produce up to 179 tanker aircraft at a cost of approximately $35 billion. The new KC45A aerial refueling aircraft is slated to replace the 50-yearold KC-135 that currently provides air bridge capabilities for the entire Air Force inventory. "It is the first step in our critical commitment to recapitalize our aging fleet to move, supply and position assets anywhere. In this global Air Force business, the critical element for air bridge, global intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and global strike is the tanker," explained Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Duncan McNabb in making the announcement. "The tanker is the No. 1 procurement priority for us right now," McNabb said. "Buying the new KC45A is a major step forward and another demonstration of our commitment to recapitalizing our Eisenhower-era inventory of these critical national assets. Today is not just important for the Air Force, however It's important for the entire joint military team and important for our coalition partners as well. The KC45A will revolutionize our ability to employ tankers and will ensure the Air Force's future ability to provide our nation with truly Global Vigilance, Reach, and Power." While senior Air Force officials continue to ask Congress for approximately $20 billion in additional funding over the next few years, Carlson said he will be working to reinvigorate the acquisition process and to focus on development, acquisition and sustainment programs that will follow the lifespan of Air Force airframes from cradle to grave. AFB hosts Civil Engineering Summit as planners talk budgets The summit also ensures all senior MAJCOM engineer planners have face-to-face interaction with their air staff CE senior leadership and program managers to discuss future requirements for military construction, housing, ILL AIR FORCE BASE — Once again, Team Hill was pleased to host the annual Air Force environmental, readiness and base operating support. Civil Engineering Planning and Program"The summit was especially important this year beming Summit, which was held Feb. 26-28. cause of the need to find a way to free up resources for For three days, senior engineers from the air staff and aircraft recapitalization, while ensuring resources remain every major command exchanged information and built to cany out our combat support mission," said Lt. Col. strategies to advocate for the Air Force's installation sup- Dave Demartino, installation support panel chairman. port accountsj>The^oal of the conference is to provide •' ••"•> "•'The attendees gain much from this three-day conferthe senior civil engineer programming community a real- ence, but Team Hill draws its own benefits from having time forum to discuss-programming planning ancbpohfcy,r""tftfctopiengineers in town. One such advantage of Hill budget submissions, budget defense strategy, execution AFB's hosting the event is that it gives a chance for leadsuccesses and lessons learned. ership to discuss their long-range facilities' needs on-site BY CAPT. RYAN LEBLANC 388th Fighter Wing Civil Engineer H f SOLATUBEl ' ' * innovation in Dayfighling. f F SAY GOODBYE TO Solatube is the brightest tubular j daylightingsystem... PERIOD. I with the senior engineers of their respective commands. Hill has hosted the Planning and Programming Summit for decades. 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