Inside the Air Force highlights

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

1. House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL) is drafting "meaningful language" to include in fiscal year 2018 and 2019 defense policy legislation that would lead the Defense Department to establish a standalone "space force" over the next decade.

Full story: Rogers: First steps to DOD space org reform coming in FY-18 mark

2. The Air Force will prioritize technical ability over cost and incentivize faster production in the competition to replace the UH-1N Huey fleet, service and company officials said this week.

Full story: USAF switches to best-value Huey recap, sets cost ceiling at $4.1B

3. Lockheed Martin envisions its Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile as a delivery system for smaller munitions and potentially small unmanned aerial systems, and has agreed with the Air Force on a price for JASSM Lot 15 production, the vice president of strike systems told Inside the Air Force.

Full story: Lockheed considers modifying JASSM to carry small munitions, UAS