About Those F-35s

About Those F-35s: The Air Force in 2006 scaled back its F-35 purchase plan to a maximum of 48 airframes a year; however, a fighter gap looms, now making it necessary to increase F-35 production, Gen. Norton Schwartz told the Senate Armed Services Committee July 21 during his confirmation hearing as Chief of Staff. Committee chairman Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) asked Schwartz whether buying more F-35s was preferable to purchasing more F-22s. "Increasing the [F-35] production rate from 48 per year to as high as 110 per year," responded Schwartz, "is the major strategy for addressing the inventory shortfalls as we go out toward 2025." Schwartz continued, saying that the F-22 is "an essential part of the force mix" and is not, as many think, "only an air-to-air platform." He said, "It has important capability for destruction of enemy air defenses in an era when surface-to-air missile threats are available from the commercial market and are increasingly lethal." He would not offer an estimate, however, on the proper number of F-22s. In his advance testimony to the committee, Schwartz noted that the revised guidance for the Fiscal 2010 future years defense plan authorizes "a $5 billion boost for our recapitalization efforts, and that will certainly help" to realize USAF's priority "to bring F-35s into the Air Force as swiftly as possible."

—Marc V. Schanz

7/24/2008

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Appreciative Host
"I know you're here during a difficult time. You're here through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. I promise you, we will find turkeys."
—Republic of Lithuania Chief of Defence Maj. Gen. Arvydas Pocius, expressing his thanks to airmen of the 493rd Fighter Squadron from RAF Lakenheath, Britain, who on Sept. 1, 2010, began a four-month stint with their F-15s in Lithuania to protect the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania under NATO's Baltic air policing mission.

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Family Momentum
"In many ways, this was what the Year of the Air Force Family was all about—connecting airmen and their families with the resources they need. I have confidence the Air Force will capitalize on this strong momentum in the years ahead by continuing to improve our family support programs and ensuring people know what resources are available."
—Suzie Schwartz, wife of USAF Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, commenting on the accomplishments of the Year of the Air Force Family initiative that concluded in July, in a statement provided to the Daily Report, Aug. 22, 2010.