Schwartz: $5 billion for more F-35s

Overheard in yesterday's nomination hearing for General Norton Schwartz, the selected next chief of staff of the US Air Force:

The new six-year spending plan by the Pentagon adds $5 billion to the US Air Force recapitalization budget.

Schwartz sounded grateful, although the USAF was asking for $20 billion a year for the next 20 years.

First priority is to increase F-35 orders from a maximum of 48 per year to 110 per year.

This sounds like an amazing increase as well, but it would simply reverse the USAF's 2006 decision to slash future production rates from 110 to 48.