Outgoing Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James says the United States needs the F-35 and A-10, two warplanes that have polarized debate during her tenure. President-elect Donald Trump asked Boeing to price out a comparable F/A-18, but James notes that while the F/A-18 "is a very fine fourth-generation fighter," the F-35 "is a cut above anything the pilots have seen before, and we need it and we want it in the inventory." As for the A-10, last year the Air Force backed off plans for its early retirement, saying it was needed in the campaign against the Islamic State. (Source: Defense One, 01/06/17) Gulf Coast note: Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is home of the F-35 integrated training center and reprogramming labs.
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