Lawmakers want the Pentagon to commission an "independent" review of the U.S. military's future aircraft needs and recommend by next year an "optimized mix" of short- and long-range strike aircraft as well as the best combination of manned and unmanned platforms. The study would be a fundamental re-evaluation of a portfolio that accounts for about $50 billion in unclassified annual modernization spending. The Senate Armed Services Committee, in its mark of the fiscal year 2017 defense authorization bill, included a...
