LONDON — US Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach has been in the seat for less than a year, but his tenure so far has been nothing short of eventful.
Following his confirmation, the Air Force reversed a series of overhauls championed under the Biden administration. Months later, the Trump administration launched a war against Iran, which restarted last week after a ceasefire with Tehran collapsed. And in April, the White House unveiled a historic Pentagon budget proposal totaling $1.5 trillion.
In an interview with Breaking Defense — where Wilsbach also discussed a milestone for the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program and the Trump administration’s various spending proposals — the general expanded on key issues like base defense and hardening shelters, both top issues highlighted by conflict with Iran where high-value aircraft have been reportedly destroyed on the ground.
The general additionally weighed in on the Air Force’s new training jet, the T-7 Red Hawk built by Boeing, which Breaking Defense recently explored in a three-part series that uncovered a host of unreported issues facing the program. And, he addressed delays for the F-35 program, where upgrade woes have left jets non-combat capable and even delivered without new radars.
