Air Force Cyberthreat Research Funding Cuts Discussed by Sen. Moran and Gen. Allvin

B-21 Raider Investment and Production

• 🚀 The B-21 Raider is highlighted as a cutting-edge aircraft essential for maintaining future air dominance.
• 🎯 General Cotton's assessment suggests 145 aircraft are necessary to meet global requirements, exceeding the current program of record for 100.
• 💡 The Air Force is evaluating the feasibility and affordability of accelerating production while managing risks in manufacturing and testing.

Cyber Red Team Missions and Funding

• ⚠️ Senator Moran expressed concern over potential cuts to the office of the director of operations and test evaluation and their impact on cyber red team missions.
• 🔍 General Allvin acknowledged awareness of ongoing deliberations regarding these cuts and committed to evaluating their effect on operational effectiveness.
• 🧠 The red teams are recognized as providing a critical capability for identifying vulnerabilities before combat, especially in the current cyber threat landscape.

E4-B Replacement and Data Ownership

• ✈️ The program to replace the E4-B survivable airborne operations center is supported by the National Institute of Aviation Research (NIAR) at Wichita State University, which is digitally twinning a 747-8.
• 🔑 A key objective is for the Air Force to own the technical data package for the E-767 aircraft, learning from challenges with the F-35 where full data rights were not secured.

B-1 Bomber Sustainment and Non-Traditional Suppliers

• 🛠️ NIAR has developed a solution to reset the life cycle of the B-1 bomber after systemic issues were discovered with its backbone.
• ✅ The importance of non-traditional suppliers like Wichita State University is emphasized for their innovative contributions to maintaining and extending the readiness of Air Force platforms.

KC-46 MOBE Location Consideration

• 📍 Senator Moran encouraged the Air Force to strongly consider the 190th Air Refueling Wing in Topeka for the location of the KC-46 Mobile Operations Base Equipment (MOBE).