‘Everybody’s going to have to figure this out’: Army, Air Force debate base defense amid new threats

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Posted on 11/29/2024 9:32:47 AM PST by Fish Speaker

WASHINGTON — When President-elect Donald Trump’s new defense secretary takes the reins of the Pentagon next year, they may quickly be faced with an internal debate to settle: whether the Army should continue with its traditional role of providing defenses for air bases, or whether the Air Force steps up to the task on its own.

At the core of the issue is not only the capabilities brought to the fight by each service, but how they will be funded. The Army has traditionally been charged with defending air bases, which is part of the reason why systems like Patriot and THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) reside under the service’s control. But tepid investment during the Global War on Terror years, alongside the proliferation of missile threats from China and Russia, has led Air Force officials to begin openly grumbling that they feel the Army can’t, or won’t, make air base defense a priority — and that a change may be due.

Recent comments from Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall seemed to bring the issue to a head, after he reportedly suggested his service could take over the air base defense mission from the Army in its entirety. Of course, if that happens, Air Force advocates would likely want to see more dollars distributed to the service, whether they come out of the Army’s coffers or elsewhere.

Asked about the ongoing discussion on Nov. 20, Army Chief of Staff Gen. Randy George said he recently met with his Air Force counterpart, Gen. David Allvin, to help chart a way forward. But George made it clear that in his mind, protection responsibilities have to fall on the entire joint force going forward.

(Excerpt) Read more at breakingdefense.com ...

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With all of the recent reports of drones overflying our air bases, this has become a hot topic.

1 posted on 11/29/2024 9:32:47 AM PST by Fish Speaker

To: Fish Speaker

2 posted on 11/29/2024 9:35:07 AM PST by Sirius Lee (Hi! Follow me on FReep Tok #Neanderthal #oMtBikes #Bach)

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