The Senate on Dec. 14 passed the 2008 defense authorization bill by a 90 to 3 vote. The House had approved the policy bill two days earlier, 370 to 49. We reported earlier on some of its provisions: eight additional C-17s; a 30/30 plan investigation plus a requirements-based, all-inclusive mobility study; no C-5 retirements, but a push to finish C-5 modernization testing; plus ups in some space programs and reductions in others; money for to continue the alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter; no Tricare fee hikes; and elevation of the National Guard Bureau chief to four-star rank. The measure now goes to the President for signature. There’s also a requirement for a new, and continuing roles and missions scrub.
Air Force F-16s from Germany Deploy to Middle East
Oct. 27, 2024
As tensions spiral in the Middle East, U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons from Germany have flown to the region, U.S. Central Command said Oct. 25. The F-16s are from the 480th Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and represent some of the service’s most advanced models.