Aerospace Group:

Air Force

No Need For More Survivable Airborne Operations Centers Than Four Planned, Meink Says

Frank Wolfe

Tuesday, March 17th, 2026

SHARE:

No Need For More Survivable Airborne Operations Centers Than Four Planned, Meink Says

Pictured is a photo of a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' briefing slide from a Jan. 22 SAOC hangar industry day at Offutt AFB, Nev.

While the U.S. Air Force is considering an acceleration of the E-4C Survivable Airborne Operation Center (SAOC) by Sierra Nevada Corp. (SNC) an increased buy of SAOCs beyond the four planned by the service is unlikely, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said on Tuesday. "I don't know that we need more SAOC aircraft than we're planning on right now," Meink said at the McAleese and Associates' annual defense programs conference. "I actually don't think we do." A U.S Army Corps…

Budd And Shaheen Bill Would Authorize 329 F-15EX Fighters

Two members of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Sen. Ted Budd (R-N.C.) and Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), have introduced the Airpower Acceleration Act, which would authorize multi-year procurements of […]

Congress

HASC’s Wittman Sees ‘Challenging’ Push For $350B In Reconciliation Funds, Wants Sustained Defense Increase

NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.– Congress’ work to pass $350 billion in reconciliation funds to support the Trump administration’s push for a $1.5 trillion fiscal year 2027 defense topline is “going to […]

Army

Army Secretary Says “We Need To Over-Invest in FLRAA To Get It Online As Quickly As Possible”

Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.), chairman of the House Appropriations Committee’s defense panel (HAC-D), said on Thursday that the Army’s budget plan beginning in fiscal 2027 has more than $2 billion […]

Congress

Pentagon Fiscal 2027 Budget To Address Cannibalization Of Parts For F-35, Legislator Says

The Pentagon’s upcoming fiscal 2027 budget request will help reduce the cannibalization of parts for the F-35 fighter by Lockheed Martin [LMT], the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee’s […]