Daily Report

We already know that the Office of the Secretary of Defense did not let Congress know by March 1 whether it intends to keep buying more F-22s. But here’s some additional justification provided by John Young, the Pentagon’s outgoing acquisition czar: In a Feb. 27 letter to Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.) and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), the chairman and ranking member, respectively, of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Young said, “It is prudent” for OSD to complete its Fiscal 2010 defense budget review before making a recommendation to the White House—and subsequently informing Congress—“due to the importance of this decision.” (This review was not complete by March 1.) Young also said OSD really didn’t have to provide an answer by March 1 since OSD will not exceed the $140 million cap that Congress imposed on advance procurement of materials and parts for more F-22s pending the Administration’s submittal of its decision. In fact, OSD has released only $50 million of that $140 million for that purpose so far.

Col. Michael Krueger, vice commander of the 22nd Air Refueling Wing at McConnell AFB, Kan., died March 3 on the base of unknown causes, Wichita’s KWCH TV News 12 reported yesterday. Krueger was found unconscious in his on-base home. He was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead, according to the news report. “He was a devoted husband, father, son, brother, and friend who epitomized the Air Force core values as a wingman, leader, and warrior, and he will be greatly missed by all the members of our Team McConnell family,” said Col. James Vechery, 22nd ARW commander. He added, “I've never known a finer person who wore the Air Force uniform.” Krueger’s Air Force biography states that he became the vice commander in May 2008. He joined the Air Force in 1985 and was a command pilot with more than 3,200 flight hours.

Air Force Gen. Duncan McNabb, head of US Transportation Command, had the sympathetic ear of Rep. Vic. Snyder (D-Ark.) last week concerning the fate of the Air Force’s Johnson-era C-130E transports. During a Feb. 25 joint hearing of the House...

The Air Force is debating as part of ongoing budget drills whether to skip a generation of technology in some areas—assuming greater risk—to live within its budget topline, Secretary Michael Donley said last week at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in...

It’s doubtful that any platforms dedicated to a sole purpose will survive the tight budgets of the coming years, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said last week at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla. “We’re long...

A lot has changed since the change-out of the Air Force leadership last year, but one thing apparently hasn’t: an unwillingness to buy new versions of 4th-generation fighters. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, in a press conference...

One of the key questions surrounding the Air Force’s C-5M modernization program is whether the dollars being spent on new engines, avionics, and reliability enhancements for 52 C-5s will reverse the C-5 fleet’s notoriously lackluster mission capable rates. The answer...

The C-130J production line currently has a backlog of 86 airframes, the largest in the program’s history, and manufacturer Lockheed Martin anticipates that the annual rate of production will increase significantly in the next several years as more customers sign...

The Pentagon’s forthcoming $533.7 billion budget request to Congress for Fiscal 2010, due next month, will fund increasing Army and Marine Corps end strength, giving service members a 2.9 percent pay raise, improving military housing and other defense facilities, and...

Mar. 2, 2009 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 27 3 30 2,396 CAS/Armed Recon 29 68 97 6,073 Airlift 150 150 7,941 Air refueling 45 45 2,814 Total 322 19,224 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance...