Outgoing U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff: Confident In The F-35, Disappointed In The KC-46 Delay, Restarting The F-22 Is A No-Go

U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh III

Defense News: Welsh ‘Confident’ in F-35, ‘Disappointed’ in KC-46 Delay

WASHINGTON — Gen. Mark Welsh, the outgoing Air Force Chief of Staff, is confident the F-35A joint strike fighter will be declared operational before the end of the year, but remains “disappointed” that Boeing has been unable to develop the KC-46 tanker on time.

In an exclusive interview with Defense News, Welsh also described the idea of new F-22 production as “cost prohibitive,” throwing water on the idea of a Raptor restart.

During his tenure as chief of staff, Welsh has consistently identified three major modernization programs for the service: the F-35A, KC-46A and what is now known as the B-21 bomber. And during his tenure, all three programs hit major milestones.

Of those three, the biggest challenge at the moment is the Boeing made KC-46A Pegasus tanker.

WNU Editor: It is strange to hear a U.S. Air Force Chief Of Staff say that he is confident of the F-35 program .... a program that is years behind schedule, over budget, and with many doubts being voiced on its capabilities.