Heather Wilson, secretary of the U.S. Air Force and a 2019 Wash100 Award winner, said modernization, growth and streamlining of acquisition processes will be top priorities across the service so new tools and capabilities can be supplied to airmen faster.
Wilson wants to expand the force from 312 squadrons to 386 to meet the requirements of near-peer competition as outlined in initiatives in the National Defense Strategy, the Air Force said Thursday.
“Our Air Force is too small for what the nation is asking of us,†Wilson said at the recent Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium.
She noted that Russia and China have been increasing their respective military power which may soon threaten U.S. airpower. The Air Force is working on a approach to attract more vendors to do business with the service branch. Wilson announced that the Pentagon budgeted $40M to identify the companies, evaluate their products and approve contracts.
Visit the Wash100 website to learn about the other 99 winners of the 2019 Wash100 Award. On the website, you can submit your 10 votes for the GovCon executives of consequence that you believe will have the most significant impact in 2019.
