Secretary of the Air Force Opens up AFA's 2012 Air Force Breakfast Series

AFA's first session of the 2012 Air Force Breakfast Program finally got underway this morning, with the Honorable Michael B. Donley, the 22nd Secretary of the Air Force, as the guest speaker.

Mr. Donley, who oversees the Air Force's annual budget, went into only a few details about the upcoming budget plan, but mostly spoke of the Air Force priorities in the context of the new strategy in the fiscally constrained environment. Without the changes in the budget environment, he said, the Air Force and national defense still needed to change the strategic environment, with the recent drawing from Iraq, and the planned draw-down in Afghanistan as factors.

The focus now will be on "trading size for qualities," he said. He outlined the larger context for the Air Force decisions that have been made, which include protecting distinctive capabilities on which our joint, our interagency and our coalition partners depend and focusing on "multirole platforms over those with more narrowly focused capabilities."

Reductions already identified include 286 aircraft across the Air Force over the next five years, which specifically include 123 fighters (7 squadron reduction, 102 A‐10s and 21 F‐16s), a plan to divest 133 mobility aircraft (27 C‐5As, about 65 C‐130s, 20 KC‐135s, and 21 C‐ 27s), and eliminate 30 ISR systems (18 Global Hawk RQ‐4 Block 30 unmanned aircraft, 11 RC‐26s, and one E‐8). It will also include changes in 9,000-plus in personnel. 

However,  the plan slows modernization while protecting Air Force capabilities and focused on "not allowing the force to go hollow."

To hear the full presentation, go to www.afa.org/CorpMembers/Breakfast_2-2-12_Donley.asp.

About the Program:

The Air Force Breakfast Program is a monthly series that provides a venue for senior Air Force and Department of Defense leaders to communicate directly with the public and the press. Past speakers include Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. Norton A. Schwartz, Gen. Gary L. North, Commander of Pacific Air Forces, and Gen. Donald J. Hoffman, Commander of Air Force Materiel Command. 

The next speaker for this monthly series will be Lt. Gen. Hawk Carlisle and focusing on fifth generation fighters. 

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