The Air Force will not achieve the level of long-term savings it hopes for if the House Armed Services Committee's version of the fiscal year 2015 defense authorization bill -- including a provision to save the U-2 spy plane from retirement -- is enacted. Recent statements by service officials, including Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh, have warned of deep cuts to readiness, force structure and modernization if Congress rejects force-structure changes in the Pentagon's FY-15 budget request,...
