Air Force leaders discuss current issues

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  • By Master Sgt. Mitch Gettle
  • Air Force Print News
WASHINGTON (AFPN) --  Secretary of the Air Force Michael W. Wynne and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley met with the media at the Pentagon to discuss a wide range of topics and issues.

The leaders provided updates on aircraft and the new Air Force mission statement at the Dec. 13 meeting.

F-22A Raptor
The service's newest jet, the F-22A Raptor, is a fifth-generation fighter that combines stealth, speed and precision, Mr. Wynne said. The F-15 Eagle provided the speed in the '80s, the Global Positioning System provided the precision in the '90s and the combination of all resides in the F-22A, he said.

General Moseley said the F-22A has been put to the test against as many aircraft, weapons systems and mission scenarios as possible.

"The airplane's performing in a magnificent manner, and it is today the finest air dominance airplane ever built," he said. "It is the personification of that fifth-generation technology."

The Air Force is currently budgeted to receive 183 F-22A’s through the 2010. General Moseley said the Air Force could field seven combat-coded squadrons from that number.

"With those seven squadrons of the finest air dominance fighter that's ever been built, we can get at the theater tasking, and we can respond to that tasking," he said.

Also, the F-22A has been redesignated from the F/A-22, a move that has historical significance. The service designated the plane "F/A" three years ago to stress the stealth fighter's ability to provide close-air support and drop bombs. The "A" will now designate the variant of the aircraft.

"The simplicity of this is the Air Force has fighters with the nomenclature of 'F' which should be in the lineage of the rest of the fighters," General Moseley said. "In a sense of heritage to horizon, this airplane bridges that heritage to the horizon."

Light cargo aircraft
Another topic discussed was viability of the future light cargo aircraft. The LCA would be able to land on shorter runways and be used for intra-theater mobility.

General Moseley referred to the partnership between the Army and Air Force during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, where the Air Force used the C-17 Globemaster III and C-130 Hercules as the primary theater lift aircraft.

"As the commander there, I would have given anything to have an aircraft with the capability that we're talking about with light cargo aircraft … you can get in and out of places with 2,500 or 3,000 feet and you can do that on a routine basis because it offers you so many more options," he said.

"You think about disaster relief and you think about what's going on, on the Gulf Coast,” the general said. “To be able to operate out of smaller airfields, and to be able to do that with a higher sortie generation rate seems to be an inherent good."

And, as far as a future growing need for this kind of aircraft, General Moseley said the Air Force is researching how to partner with the Army's existing program and looking internally for emerging requirements.

"I know what I would have done with something like (light cargo aircraft) in Afghanistan and Iraq, but I don't know that that's the conclusion for 20 years from now," he said.

Air Force mission statement
Mr. Wynne told the media he believes Airmen understand the new Air Force mission statement.

"I think our mission space is fairly clear, and our mission is to deliver options on behalf of the nation and the President in the areas where we're assigned missions," he said. "I think the flying and fighting in space and cyberspace and air is a mission that we truly do understand."

General Moseley said the new mission statement makes clear the unique nature of the mission. He thinks the revision was needed to reflect the current and future direction of the service.

"Our job fundamentally is different than a land component or a maritime, in (that) we fly and fight," he said. "Whether that's a spacecraft or a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) or an atmospheric platform.

“And we're merging into this third domain of cyberspace,” the general said. “It's a reality. I believe it's valid to address that."