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Force structure reductions will make the combat
air force smaller, but leveraging technology and advancements will enable USAF to
have a “more capable force with the ability to counter our most dangerous
threats,” Air Combat Command boss Gen. Mike Hostage said at AFA’s Air &
Space Conference in National Harbor, Md., on Tuesday. “In addition, we must
sustain the capability and capacity to deal with the lesser but more likely
threats,” said Hostage. Balanced recapitalization and refurbishment of the CAF
is crucial to accomplishing this in the coming years, he emphasized. This means
USAF must complete transitioning to a fifth generation fighter fleet, develop a
“next generation” JSTARS capability, and continue development of the Long-Range
Strike Bomber. Hostage also said USAF needs to recap its rescue force, to
include the combat rescue helicopter fleet and new HC-130Js, in order to meet
the demands for rescue forces from combatant commanders. “Our CAF rescue forces
have been in high demand in Africa for over a decade, and the worldwide demand
will only continue,” he said, highlighting rescue needs in places such as Libya
and the Horn of Africa.
