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General Says Air Force Modernization Is Priority

Sept. 27, 2022 | By David Vergun, DOD News

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. spoke today at the State of Defense conference on DefenseOne.com. 

An aircraft sits on a runway.
An aircraft sits on a runway.
Travis Flightline
An Air Force C-17 Globemaster III sits on the flightline at Travis Air Force Base, Calif., Sept. 23, 2022. A Reserve aircrew from the 301st Airlift Squadron performed a three-day mission to move humanitarian cargo to Haiti.
Download: Full Size (1.21 MB)
Photo By: Air Force Senior Airman Jonathon Carnell
VIRIN: 220923-F-NP696-1007R

Regarding hypersonic threats from adversaries, Brown said, "We want to make sure we have not only that capability, but the capacity. There's a balance between having a hypersonic capability, but it's all the other munitions that we would also have [that] ensure our portfolio because what I want to make sure that we have is a full complement of capability to go against the threats that we know about today."

As for recent Chinese activity in the Taiwan Strait, Brown said the U.S. will continue operating in international waters. 

Speaking about nuclear threats Brown said: "We want to make sure we have a safe, secure, reliable nuclear deterrent." 

An aircraft sits on a runway.
An aircraft sits on a runway.
Alaska Flightline
Alaska Air National Guardsmen assigned to the 176th Airlift Wing prepare a C-17 Globemaster III for departure at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, Sept. 21, 2022. About 100 members of the Alaska Organized Militia, which includes members of the Alaska National Guard, Alaska State Defense Force and Alaska Naval Militia, were activated following a disaster declaration issued Sept. 17 after the remnants of Typhoon Merbok caused flooding across more than 1,000 miles of Alaskan coastline.
Download: Full Size (1.23 MB)
Photo By: Air Force Airman 1st Class Julia Lebens
VIRIN: 220921-F-RJ686-1025R

Brown also mentioned modernization of the B-52 bombers to the newer B-21s and the Minuteman 3 missiles. 

"We are on a path to modernize the Air Force not only across the conventional air force, but also nuclear force, as well," he said.

Air Force

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