Disjointing

The Air Force and Army are still working through the OSD-directed mandate of transitioning the joint cargo aircraft program from a combined effort to an Air Force-only initiative, Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt, Air National Guard director, said Wednesday. Speaking to...

QDR “Tiger Team” Explores Bomber Requirement

The future of the Air Force’s next-generation bomber program hinges on the judgment of a group tasked with re-examining the effort as part of the current Quadrennial Defense Review, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Force Development David Ochmanek told...

Short of a Veto Threat

In the latest Statement of Administration Policy covering national security matters, the Obama Administration stands firm on the President’s veto declaration regarding additional F-22s, but it stops short on other key programs where it disagrees with the House Appropriations Committee’s...

High Standards for JSF Engine?

According to a report by the online journal DOD Buzz, which talked with Marine Corps Brig. Gen. David Heinz, who heads the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program office, there’s been some cost increase related to quality control with Pratt &...

The Best of the Best at Rodeo

Taking the overall title at Air Mobility Command’s 2009 Rodeo is the 62nd Airlift Wing at McChord AFB, Wash. The week-long event featured an international field—100 teams, including those from seven foreign countries—competing in air and ground skills categories. Participating...

A New Breed of ALOs

The Air Force has opened its air liaison officer duty to non-rated officers, ushering the first 15 candidates through a five-day pre-selection course last week that whittled the group down to just five who will attempt to make it through...

Getting in the Game

With the shift to increased reliance on all-manner of unmanned aerial vehicles, more defense contractors are likely to take a run at current kingpins—General Atomics with its MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper and Northrop Grumman with its RQ-4 Global Hawk—to...

Time to Get “Creative”

As we reported Wednesday, the Iraqi Air Force would like to have fighter aircraft, including perhaps US F-16s, to build an air defense arsenal after US forces depart, but there is some concern about providing advanced fighters. However, for the...

Air Sorties in War on Terrorism, Southwest Asia

July 26, 2009 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 24 26 54 8,690 CAS/Armed Recon 22 79 101 19,761 Airlift 39 39 27,131 Air refueling 49 49 9,537 Total 243 65,119 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance...