Free Republic

The Senate has cut funding for 20 Light Air Support aircraft meant to backfill the precision fire support role for the Afghan Army once we have pulled the vast majority of manned airpower out of the Afghan theater.

In November 2011, Lt. Gen. Dave Deptula, USAF (Ret.) took TacAir's A-29 Super Tucano for a test flight over Northern Nevada. A highly decorated military leader, Deptula transitioned from the U.S. Air Force in 2010 after more than 34 years of distinguished service. He was the principal attack planner for the Desert Storm coalition air campaign in 1991. He has twice been a Combined/Joint Task Force Commander—in 1998/1999 for Operation Northern Watch where he flew 82 combat missions as a general officer, and for Operation Deep Freeze conducting operations in Antarctica. In 2001, he served as Director of the Combined...

Is Hawker Beechcraft an American company? By Stephen Trimble Loren Thompson argues in a blog last week there are two competitors for the US Air Force contract for a light attack armed reconnaissance (LAAR) aircraft: "An American plane made by Hawker Beechcraft designated the AT-6, and a Brazilian plane made by Embraer designated the EMB-314." This is a bad thing, according to Thompson. "The fact the Air Force is even entertaining a bid from Brazil tells us that this Pentagon is out of touch with economic realities." I won't argue with his conclusion, but the facts need a little clarity....

The Passing of a Generation 4/30/11 A Perspective on the Evolving Global Marketplace by Ed Timperlake and Robbin Laird American Labor Unions are in a self inflicted “Hurt Locker.” (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0887912/).With the actuarial tables taking the sad but inevitable final toll on the men and women identified as “The Greatest Generation,” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greatest_Generation) a significant demographic shift has occurred. With the decline of the American industrial base and the rise of public sector unions a significant force in American politics has shifted focus. There was an old saying that with their solid pro-military conservative principles union members would vote their “American Legion...