The Air Force is extending by a year a congressional mandate that requires the service to maintain more than 350 airlift aircraft in its inventory, an in-house decision that allows the service time to conduct additional studies, readdress force-structure needs with its stakeholders and make budget adjustments. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said in a statement today that the Air Force chose to extend the mandate in order to accommodate outside parties. The extension also provides time "for the resolution...
