Nearly 20 retired Air Force general officers, including six former chiefs of staff, urged lawmakers to reverse Pentagon plans to cut the E-7 and F-35s.
The Air Force's E-4B, which the president would use to direct forces during nuclear war, is nearing the end of its life and will be replaced by the SAOC.
The latest figure is 2.2 percentage points higher than last year’s selection rate, and 4.3 percentage points higher than the recent low of 18.2% in 2021.
