Playing Ping-Pong With Bradley A- 10s: The 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday put the A-10s of the Connecticut Air National Guard’s 103rd Fighter Wing back in play. Before sending the BRAC commission final report to Bush Thursday night, the commission removed the recommendation that would have eliminated the Bradley Airport A-10s, per an injuction ordered Wednesday by US Dist. Judge Alfred Covello. In reviewing Covello’s decision, the three-person appeals court said, as other courts had, that the commission recommendations were not final. President Bush has until Sept. 23 to turn it over to Congress or back to the commission for further work. However, Bush has said he will send it on to Capitol Hill. Check here for the Air Force section of the final report.
Pentagon officials overseeing homeland counter-drone strategy told lawmakers that even with preliminary moves to bolster U.S. base defenses, the military still lacks the capability to comprehensively identify, track, and engage hostile drones like those that breached the airspace of Langley Air Force Base in Virginia for 17 days in December…