North: Guns Used in More Than 1 of 4 Engagements
 In the 29,047 strike sorties flown in the last year by U.S. Air Force planes over Iraq and Afghanistan, the gun was the weapon of choice in more than 25 percent of engagements, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Gary North, who commands the 9th Air Force and U.S. Central Command Air Forces.
“Air is the 911” on the battlefield, he said, using the U.S. emergency phone number.
Camporini: Create Interoperability Through Modeling and Simulation
 For Italy, development of a flexible, integrated air force doesn’t necessarily depend on air vehicles and weaponry, but on a modeling and simulation environment that helps build a structure for interoperability.
“The Italian Air Force strongly believes that simulation shall assume the role of a robust basic framework to conduct studies, analysis, experiments and trials in order to reach a useful fusion of C2, networks, computers, geospatial data and images that, by focusing on decision-centric operations, will allow warfighters to fully exploit the global decision environment and enhance doctrines, procedures, techniques and tactics employed in complex operations,” said Lt. Gen. Vincenzo Camporini, who commands the Italian Air Force.
Kim: New System To Cut Training Costs 30 Percent
 The Korean Air Force expects to cut total training costs by 30 percent, or $600,000, as it rolls out its new flight training system, said Gen. Kim Eun-Gi, chief of staff of the Republic of Korea Air Force.
That’s sure to prick ears in the United Arab Emirates, which is looking to acquire a comprehensive training system.
Loader: UK’s RAF Must Transform Despite Budget Cuts
 If the UK’s Royal Air Force is to maintain its relevancy, it must transform itself into a more agile and lethal force, while maintaining operational capability — all in the face of budget cuts that will close 40 percent of the RAF’s 73 airfields by 2020.
So what exactly is transformation in light of such a challenge, asked Air Chief Marshal Sir Clive Loader, the first commander-in-chief of the RAF’s Air Command, which was established in April.
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