The intellect that built “Space Country, USA” in and around Southern California helped establish US aerospace prominence and more needs to be done to help preserve its future, according to several speakers at AFA’s Los Angeles space symposium. One way...

Air Force Space Command’s Gen. Lance W. Lord told the LA symposium audience that efforts are in the works to merge the “white” and “black” space intelligence gathering operations of the reorganized intelligence community. Lord called the recently created Joint...

Speaking at the symposium, Maj. Gen. Roger Burg, director of strategic security for USAF air and space operations at the Pentagon, said the rise of asymmetric threats and gaps in today’s environment has created an ever-growing demand for Air Force...

Lt. Gen. Michael A. Hamel, head of Space and Missile Systems Center in Los Angeles, offered the symposium audience this wry view: “If you listen to the pundits … everything is broken, so we should go home and forget it.”...

Boeing’s George Muellner expressed dismay that industry often “only has one shot” to field today’s complex space systems, saying it’s a harsh program environment. He believes there must be more stability in the process of acquiring and deploying space systems,...

Boeing officials told reporters that the KC-767 tanker it is flight testing for the Italian Air Force will have the Link 16 data network—a leg up on current USAF tankers. Italy bought four KC-767s and will receive the first one...

USAF Lt. Gen. Walter E. Buchanan III, commander of US Central Command Air Forces, told the Associated Press news service at the Dubai (United Arab Emirates) Air Show that he knows that some “civilian casualties” have been “staged.” Buchanan, who...

USAF, USN Show at Dubai: UAE invited the US Air Force and US Navy to participate in its Dubai Air Show, which many say is close behind the Farnborough and Paris air shows. The US forces have sent some 300...

From “Truck” To “It” Machines: Speaking to reporters at the Dubai Air Show, retired Gen. Ronald Fogleman, former US Air Force Chief of Staff, praised the evolution in thinking about unmanned aerial vehicles, which he said had once been treated...

Aussies Get Antsy Over US Bombers: Shortly after Australia and the US announced that USAF B-1B, B-2, and B-52 bombers, deployed to Andersen AFB, Guam, would be using the Delamere air weapons range in Australia’s Northern Territory, locals voiced dissent....

Congress Squints at NPOESS Woes: The new weather satellite is $3 billion over budget and probably three years late, NOAA and USAF tell lawmakers. We reported a Nunn-McCurdy breach by the National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite earlier (DR 09/29/05). At...

The Government Accountability Office says the problems with NPOESS could produce at least a three-year gap in vital weather coverage. Such a gap, asserts Boehlert, puts American lives at risk. NOAA’s answer: They might delay launch of the last legacy satellite; if it fails, well, the agency is looking into that. Sega says that DOD would employ spaceborne and airborne platforms to provide weather data and, possibly, a service life extension for current DMSP satellites.

Operation Dynamic Weasel is the name USAF has given to a tactics and techniques training exercise set to take place at Shaw AFB, S.C., on Dec. 2. The activity will feature F-16CJ and B-1B aircraft, integrated with air operations and...

MSgt. Michael Russell, with 4th Security Forces Squadron, Seymour-Johnson AFB, N.C., recently received a Bronze Star for actions while he served in Southwest Asia in 2004. During a three-hour long attack on Balad AB, Iraq, when a mortar struck a...

Congress approved the Fiscal 2006 military construction spending bill on Nov. 18, sending the $ 6.2 billion measure to the President for signature. The legislation includes $1.5 billion for implementation of the 2005 BRAC decision

The first Commando Sling of the new fiscal year has wrapped. Participating were some 80 airmen from the 14th Fighter Squadron, Misawa AB, Japan. The unit’s F-16s flew with and against Singapore Air Force F-5s. The Misawa airmen felt comfortable...

Col. Margaret Woodward, commander of 6th Air Mobility Wing, MacDill AFB, Fla., says she is canceling next spring’s air show for security reasons, though there is no specific threat. Woodward believes the wing’s operational tempo limits the resources the unit...

Airmen of the 332nd Expeditionary Security Forces, Balad AB, Iraq, have taken over law enforcement functions—replacing soldiers—for both Balad and nearby Camp Anaconda. The Security Force airmen will operate under Army tactical control, according to USAF officials.

Air Force officials have decided that airmen must start wearing the new physical training uniform beginning Oct. 1, 2006, for unit physical fitness exercises. The Air Force Uniform Board also issued guidance for wearing the uniform for personal exercises. If...

Air Force Personnel Center has named its Building 499 at Randolph AFB, Tex., Dixon Hall, honoring the late Gen. Robert J. Dixon. Dixon, who was known as the “father of modern Air Force personnel,” was commander of the Air Force...

November 18-20, 2005 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 33 9 – 42 CAS/Armed Recon 135 70 – 205 Airlift – – 480 480 Air refueling – – 100 100 Total 168 79 580 827 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation...