The Pentagon’s extensive new study of its mobility needs shows that the US military requires about 32.7 million ton miles of strategic airlift capacity per day, a figure already exceeded by the Air Force’s existing fleet of C-5 and C-17...
Air Force Secretary Michael Donley says the Pentagon intends to stick with the KC-X request for proposal issued on Feb 24 despite the fact that only Boeing appears intent on submitting a bid to build the new tanker aircraft. “The...
The Obama Administration’s plan to cancel NASA’s Constellation human spaceflight program might end up sharply increasing the price that the Air Force has to pay for the rocket motors used on its own space launch vehicles, Gary Payton, USAF’s space...
If there’s one issue that keeps Gary Payton, USAF’s top civilian space official, up at night, it’s worry over the space industrial base. “Our costs are going up because a number of second- and third-tier players are getting out of...
If the Air Force secures Congress’ permission to retire 17 C-5A transports in Fiscal 2011, one Air National Guard and one Air Force Reserve unit likely would lose their C-5s as new C-17s are brought on to replace them, says...
Christine Fox, the Pentagon’s top independent cost estimator, made clear in her testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee last week that the developmental challenges confronting the F-35 strike fighter program “should not be interpreted as a signal” that the...
For Fiscal 2010, the Air Force’s approved Total Force end strength is 686,944 personnel, Daniel Ginsberg, assistant secretary of the Air Force for manpower and reserve affairs, told the Senate Armed Services Committee’s personnel panel March 10. This includes 331,700...
Despite doing well overall in recruiting, the Air Force is still struggling to attract and retain officers in the health professions, says Daniel Ginsberg, USAF’s top civilian for manpower issues. “The on-going high-demand for medical professionals in the lucrative civilian...
Air Sorties in Southwest Asia, March 8, 2010 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 34 40 74 3,901 CAS/Armed Recon 26 85 111 5,956 Airlift 161 161 10,762 Air refueling 46 46 2,760 Rescue 15 15 140 Total...
