Inside the Air Force highlights

Here are the top four must-reads in this week's issue of Inside the Air Force:

1. The Pentagon will name Fred Kennedy the director of the Space Development Agency, according to a March 12 memo from acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan.

Full story: New memo names DARPA's Fred Kennedy as SDA director

2. Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering Mike Griffin told reporters today the first priority of the Pentagon's new Space Development Agency is to create a space sensor and communications transport layer in low-Earth orbit.

Full story: Griffin: SDA to oversee new proliferated space comms transport layer

3. The Air Force's fiscal year 2020 future years defense program proposes about $400 million for light-attack aircraft procurement between FY-22 and FY-24, and the service plans to buy a small number of aircraft this year to continue its testing and experimentation plan.

Full story: Air Force programs $400M in FYDP to buy light-attack aircraft

4. The Air Force is seeking to expand its missile inventory and hypersonics research, according to its fiscal year 2020 defense budget request.

Full story: USAF looks for boosts in missile procurement, hypersonics research