Top USAF Officer in Europe Outlines Opportunities Amid Modernization

Lieutenant General Jason Hinds, commander of United States Air Forces in Europe and NATO Allied Air Command, argued that European investment in domestically produced aircraft and weapons should not be read as a retreat from the United States. He said allies are responding to American calls to expand the transatlantic defense-industrial base and increase their own capacity. The modernization creates opportunities for interoperable systems, shared production and stronger regional sustainment, provided national procurement choices remain connected through common standards, training, command arrangements and operational planning.