During visit to Middle East, U.S. Air Force officials talk up light attack aircraft
By: Valerie Insinna 17 hours ago
DUBAI — The U.S. Air Force hasn’t determined whether it will continue its experiments with light attack aircraft, but that didn’t stop the service’s number-two general from touting the potential benefits in a speech to Middle Eastern and other international air chiefs.
“If non-contested missions continue for some time, and I think that they will, be they COIN [counter insurgency] or other areas, manned light ISR and attack capabilities will be able to fill a void in areas that the fifth gen and UAS don’t provide the best value,” said Gen. Stephen Wilson, the Air Force’s vice chief of staff, in a speech at the Dubai International Air Chiefs conference.“ These light platforms might be able to bring the benefits of lower cost, flexible beddowns, and shorter training times.”
https://www.defensenews.com/digital-show-dailies/dubai-air-show/2017/11/11/during-visit-to-middle-east-us-air-force-officials-talk-up-light-attack-aircraft/
