Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James has said the service branch needs more time to train and achieve the level of readiness it needs to counter global threats the U.S. currently faces, Air Force Times reported Thursday.
Oriana Pawlyk writes James made her remarks at a hearing of the House Armed Services Committee Wednesday on the service branch’s budget request for fiscal 2017.
“Half of our combat air forces are not sufficiently ready for the kind of fight [Army Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Milley] just described,†said James, an inductee into Executive Mosaic’s Wash100 for 2016.
Milley, also an inductee into Executive Mosaic’s Wash100 for 2016, cited Russia, China, North Korea and Iran as potential threats to U.S.’ national security.
“Money is helpful, but freeing up the time to do this training is equally important,†James added.
Lara Seligman also reported for Defense News that James also asked Congress to fund the three components of the service branch’s nuclear triad through a “strategic deterrence” joint fund.
These components include the B-21 bomber, the U.S. Navy’s Ohio Replacement Submarine program and the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent initiative.
“If [there] is a strategic deterrence fund that would help or benefit one leg of the triad, I would ask for consideration that all legs of the triad be included in such an approach,â€Â she said at the hearing.