
While Congress may turn back the Air Force's fiscal 2021 request to retire almost 30 tanker aicraft, 44 A-10 attack aircraft, and 24 Northrop Grumman [NOC] Block 20/30 RQ-4 Global Hawk drones, Air Force acquisition chief Will Roper said that such retirements are required to help pay for modernization and that the service's push for digital engineering may ease the concerns of lawmakers concerned about the loss of jobs and defense programs in their jurisdictions. Roper said that the large…