AIR CHIEF’S PERSPECTIVE
Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force
General David L Goldfein The United Kingdom is one of our closest Allies. From flying alongside each other in the strategic bombing campaign of the Second World War and the Berlin Airlift during the Cold War, to safeguarding our NATO Allies today, the United States Air Force (USAF) and Royal Air Force (RAF) have a special bond unlike any other. Our unparalleled partnership is deeply rooted in the rich history of our nations’ mutual democratic norms and unwavering commitment to peace, security and prosperity. This has not and will not change. We will continue to work together and fly in formation to meet future challenges and threats. The United States and United Kingdom defence relationship is as strong as ever. The depth of the USAF and RAF relationship will only grow as – together – we face an increasingly complex and dangerous international security environment. No nation will be able to combat future threats alone. It is innovation and the interoperability of our combined efforts that will allow us to find ways to address complex challenges over the next decade. The USAF will continue to work and train with the RAF bilaterally and through NATO to build interoperability and ensure collective security and deterrence. Technological advances are changing the character of warfare and increasingly congesting the operating environment. Future challenges and adversaries must be met with a fully integrated fourthand-fifth-generation force anchored by the unmatched F-35 Lightning II and
global integrated intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance operations. The RAF has been, and will remain, a top-tier partner of the USAF in developing and integrating these key assets in the next generation of NATO air force capabilities. We will continue to work and train together to enhance interoperability, deter adversaries and,
“The USAF will continue to work and train with the RAF bilaterally and through NATO to build interoperability”
when required, defeat future threats to global peace and security. The RAF has played a monumental role in shaping aviation and world history. Had it not developed out of the ashes of the first Great War, world history could have taken a dramatically different turn. The United States looks to the United Kingdom to play an active role in the world, as it always has, and the world looks to the transatlantic community to address its most serious challenges. The UK is one of our closest and most capable NATO Allies, and history shows that we are stronger because we are united with common values and resolute in our commitment to freedom.
BUILDING THE NEXT GENERATION AIR FORCE AIR POWER 2018
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