Navy Shortfall In P-8 Antisubmarine Aircraft Could Be A Problem For The Air Force Too (From Forbes)

The U.S. Navy is buying ten fewer P-8A Poseidon antisubmarine planes than its validated warfighting requirement, an odd move at a time when the maritime threat from China and Russia is growing. By not filling its full requirement, the sea service might also be creating a problem for a sister service. The Air Force wants to use the same version of the Boeing 737 to host its replacement of the E-3 AWACS, but if the Navy stops buying too soon the airframe may no longer be in production when the AWACS successor is ready for assembly. I have written a commentary for forbes.com here.