Daily Report

The Air Force’s CSAR-X contract award will incur a “minor delay” as the result of the service’s intent to issue a new amendment to the rescue helicopter’s solicitation that clarifies for industry bidders how the service will make its source-selection decision. “The offererors have been notified of the pending amendment that will be released soon,” the Air Force said in a statement issued yesterday. Air Force officials have said they intended to announce the winner of the multi-billion-dollar helicopter contest before the end of the year. This may place that goal in doubt. Still, the Air Force said yesterday it has “full confidence” in its process to determine the winning helicopter—either Boeing’s HH-47, Lockheed Martin’s HH-71, or Sikorsky’s HH-92. “The clarification underscores the Air Force’s commitment to a fair and transparent competition, consistent with the Secretary of the Air Force’s focus on acquisition excellence,” reads the statement. USAF specified that the amendment and corresponding delay are “not associated” with the Pentagon inspector general’s ongoing audit of the CSAR-X requirements development process. The Air Force said it expects the release of the IG’s final report later this year. Earlier this month, Reuters reported that the Air Force has brought in a non-profit consulting firm to help it evaluate the CSAR-X bids. The new rescue helicopter will replace the service’s HH-60Gs Pave Hawks.

The new directorate on the Air Staff that will coordinate the Air Force’s nuclear activities, enterprise-wide, will stand up formally on Nov. 1, Air Force spokeswoman Liz Aptekar tells the Daily Report. The Air Force leadership announced the creation of...

F-15s deployed to Siauliai, Lithuania, took part in a one-day Baltic joint air-policing exercise Oct. 21 with NATO partners the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Four F-15s from the 493rd Fighter Squadron at RAF Lakenheath, Britain, arrived...

When the Air Force’s 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces Group took sole responsibility for the defense of Joint Base Balad, Iraq, earlier this month, it did so with numerous mine resistant ambush protected vehicles, the US military’s newest armored vehicles. While...

The Air Force and University Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, are launching a new training program this month to provide newly graduated registered nurses with the advanced clinical training and experience they need to become Air Force Nurse Corps officers and...

Boeing has won a contract potentially worth up to $27 million over the next 42 months for the final production phases of the new personnel access hatches that the Air Force is installing at its Minuteman III ICBM launch facilities...

The German government recognized veterans of the Berlin Airlift for their bravery and sacrifice during a ceremony at Travis AFB, Calif., Oct. 15 celebrating the airlift’s 60th anniversary and marking the opening of a six-week exhibit at the Travis Air...

The fledgling Iraqi air force celebrated another milestone Oct. 13 with the graduation of the first three pilots from its sole fixed-wing flight training school at Kirkuk Regional Air Base. “These new pilots are the first the Iraqi Air Force...

The US military opened a new $15 million veterinary hospital Oct. 21 on the grounds of Lackland AFB, Tex., for the treatment and rehabilitation of military working dogs wounded in Afghanistan or Iraq or injured during training at the base....

Air Sorties in War on Terrorism, Southwest AsiaOct. 21, 2008 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 26 13 39 10,718 CAS/Armed Recon 44 73 117 30,261 Airlift 140 140 38,199 Air refueling 55 55 14,927 Total 351 94,105...