The Air Force plans to conduct its first flight test of the 30,000-pound massive ordnance penetrator before the end of the month under an initiative that aims to field the huge bunker-buster munition as soon as possible. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency led a MOP technology demonstration that concluded in January with the fifth and final test drop of the bomb from a B-52H bomber, a Pentagon spokeswoman told the Daily Report. The Air Force now intends to integrate MOP on the B-2A. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz told a House oversight panel last week that the Pentagon has had “mixed results” to date in test drops of the MOP. Despite that, they said they are “closely monitoring” MOP’s progress and “future successes likely will result in a reprogramming request to accelerate its development in Fiscal 2010.” Continue
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said he'd be “comfortable’ with the service taking over the air base defense mission from the Army, provided it was given the resources and manpower to do so. The Army has been slow to devote the resources and attention needed to matching the Air Force’s…