The Senate confirmed Barbara Barrett as the 25th secretary of the Air Force, by an 85-7 vote on Oct. 16. Barrett becomes the third woman to serve as the Air Force’s senior-most civilian leader. She comes to the job after serving previously as ambassador to Finland, in leadership at the Federal Aviation Administration, and chairing the board of the Aerospace Corporation. In accepting the position, Barrett stressed the need to get the floundering F-35 program on more stable ground.
“The F-35 is our future, and we need it. And we need it sustainably,” Barrett said.
Barrett also supports the idea of expanding the service to 386 squadrons, up from the present 312, to meet emerging challenges around the world. She also endorsed establishing a Space Force as a sixth armed service, bringing the KC-46 tanker aircraft into operation as quickly as possible, bolstering cyber warfare, expanding Arctic presence, and mitigating problems related to ground water contamination at Air Force bases.