Inside the Air Force highlights

Some must-reads from this week's issue of Inside the Air Force:

1. Air Force officials say the service is still targeting an annual F-35 production rate of 60 aircraft, but in the near term, the focus is on maintaining a "manageable ramp" in order to avoid undue strain on its production and logistics infrastructure.

Full story: Air Force says request for 48 F-35s supports 'manageable ramp' in production

3. The Air Force is pursuing new battle management and command-and-control efforts after abandoning the E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System recapitalization program in its fiscal year 2019 budget request.

Full story: AWACS, MQ-9 investments part of first phase to replace JSTARS

3. The Air Force's fiscal year 2019 budget offers new details on its plan to recapitalize the Space-Based Infrared System and support future overhead persistent infrared requirements, even as the effort still lacks an approved acquisition strategy.

Full story: Air Force outlines $7.3 billion five-year plan for future SBIRS architecture

4. The Distributed Common Ground System will reap the benefits of the Air Force's decision to double down on ISR capabilities with $450.3 million in the fiscal year 2019 budget request to speed its transition to an open architecture.

Full story: Air Force pledges to speed DCGS open architecture move in FY-19 request