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2,008 No. 4
April 2008

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Editorial: Lurching Toward a Cliff

By Robert S. Dudney

At some point, we will have put ourselves irrevocably on course for the failure of American arms.

The Redefinition of Airpower

By John A. Tirpak

Speakers at AFA’s Orlando Symposium said USAF is committed—really committed—to a new “flight path.”

The Heavy Toll of High Optempo

By Marc V.Schanz

At AFA’s Orlando Symposium, senior airmen spell out what’s happening to a force constantly in motion.

Fighting for Air Dominance

By John A. Tirpak

The US hasn’t worried about command of the air for more than 50 years, but the trend lines all are negative.

Ramenskoye, Past and Present

Photography by Aleksey Mikheyev

Curtain Up on White Space

By Jeremy Singer

The trend is toward military use of unclassified satellite data.

Defense Budget at a Glance (Fiscal 2009)

By Tamar A. Mehuron and Heather Lewis

Toward the Totally Educated Airman

By Rebecca Grant

The Air Force has pushed airpower education higher on the list of service priorities.

When the Draft Calls Ended

John T. Correll

The all-volunteer force was a return to—not a departure from—the nation’s tradition of military service.

Bullets Between the Blades

By Dik A. Daso

The fixed, forward-firing aerial machine gun marked the start of true air-to-air combat.

Verbatim

Too High a Risk?
"This issue is not about contractor 'A' or contractor 'B.' The issues is that we do not believe that it is prudent for up to 80 to 90 percent of the fighter fleet to be dependent on a single engine type, provided by one manufacturer. Being tied to one engine is too high an operational risk to take."
—Rep. Neil Abercrombie (D-Hawaii), explaining why his House Armed Services Air and Land Forces Subcommittee had added funds to the 2010 defense budget to cover continued development of an alternate engine for the F-35, committee markup session, June 16, 2009.

Verbatim

You Betcha
"Your decision to terminate the acquisition of the C-17s, the F- 22s, the DDG-1000, and the Future Combat System vehicles—we have concerns that it may send the wrong signal to our friends and our potential aggressors that we are reducing our capability. It may also have a long-term impact on our defense industrial base. It may diminish our capacity to provide deterrents and reduce our strength that we provide to our allies. We hope that this is not the consequence, but some of us are concerned."
—Sen. Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii), parting remarks to Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Michael Mullen, Joint Chiefs Chairman, during a Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing, June 9, 2009.