Hinds Today

U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, the Chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, held a meeting with Dr. Troy Meink, President Donald J. Trump's nominee for the position of Secretary of the Air Force. The discussion centered on future challenges and opportunities for the Air Force's fleet structure, focusing on advancements such as sixth-generation aircraft and unmanned systems.

Senator Wicker emphasized the importance of maintaining American dominance in space and highlighted several key areas that require attention. "It was good to meet with President Trump’s choice to lead the Department of the Air Force," he stated. "We have a lot of work to do to ensure that the Air and Space Forces own the skies and stars, including standing up the Next-Generation Air Dominance Fighter (NGAD), accelerating the procurement of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), preserving existing and effective Air Force fighters, and constructing platforms that will be critical to a future national missile defense system."

Dr. Meink's background includes his role as Principal Deputy Director of the National Reconnaissance Office and previously serving as Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for Space. Senator Wicker expressed appreciation for Dr. Meink's insights on various issues facing air and space power under President Trump's military rebuild initiative. "I appreciated Dr. Meink’s perspective on these and other issues," said Chairman Wicker, adding that he looks forward to leading Dr. Meink's confirmation hearing.