LONDON — U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, less than a year into his tenure, has navigated a series of significant events. Following his confirmation, the service reversed several Biden-era overhauls. Months later, the Trump administration launched strikes against Iran, restarting conflict after a ceasefire collapsed. In April, the White House unveiled a historic Pentagon budget proposal totaling $1.5 trillion.
In a recent interview, Wilsbach discussed the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program, base defense priorities highlighted by the Iran conflict, the new T-7A Red Hawk trainer, and persistent F-35 modernization delays.
Asked about lawmaker concerns regarding the survivability of collaborative combat aircraft on the ground, Wilsbach acknowledged the threat extends to manned platforms. He revealed a key outcome from a recent “Corona” meeting: the creation of a new “point defense” career field dedicated to protecting airfields from ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and drones of all sizes.
“As we see what’s happening with Russia and Ukraine — and the use of one-way attack munitions and vehicles and drones, and the security, or lack thereof, of bases — we’ve come to the realization that we have to create a new career field and have experts in the ability to defend your airfield from all of these threats,” Wilsbach said. He emphasized that forces must be able to continue force projection even while under attack.
Regarding hardened shelters, Wilsbach reiterated his skepticism of heavy infrastructure investment. “Unless you’re going to send something 100 feet or more underground, we can blow it up, and so can they. So, the economics of building a shelter that is impervious to a strike doesn’t work,” he stated. He argued the economics favor active defense systems — such as directed energy, short-range interceptors, and electronic warfare — over static shelters. He did note the value of low-cost measures like netting to protect high-value assets from small drones.
On the T-7A Red Hawk, Wilsbach reported a positive impression after a recent flight, though the aircraft operated with standard envelope restrictions on speed and angle of attack. “What I did pick up on is an extremely easy aircraft to fly. It’s supposed to replace the T-38. Way easier to fly than a T-38. Way easier,” he said. He expressed confidence that expanding the envelope will yield a highly effective trainer, potentially allowing the Air Force to consolidate training onto a single platform and reduce both time and cost.
Addressing F-35 Block 4 delays — including deliveries without new radars and non-combat-capable jets — Wilsbach said operational impact has been minimal because the service can shuffle tails and select units with the appropriate configurations. “That being said, you know we want Lockheed Martin and the subcontractors to step up and deliver TR-3 and Block 4 as quickly as possible with a stable platform that actually works,” he added, specifically calling on Northrop Grumman to deliver the APG-85 radar on schedule. He praised the F-35’s recent performance in the Epic Fury exercise, citing high availability and maintenance rates, but stressed that timely upgrades would unlock further capability.
Editor’s note: In response to Wilsbach’s comments, Lockheed Martin stated that TR-3 development was completed in 2025 and that Block 4 modernization continues with over 70 major upgrades across all three variants to ensure the F-35 maintains unmatched dominance.
