The Air Force has delayed the launch of the first of Boeing’s new Global Positioning Satellite, the GPS IIF, and is taking a hard look at the company’s award fees, reports Reuters news service. USAF told Reuters that an independent review found problems ranging from system technical complexity to late deliveries by subcontractors and recommended a schedule delay of more than a year, slipping a January 2007 launch to May 2008. The Air Force notified Congress last week about the problems. The situation is bad news for Boeing, which has agreed to pay $615 million to settle misconduct claims, some space-related, and could fork over another $400 million if the Air Force confirms C-17 overcharges.
The U.S., South Korea, and Japan flew an unusual trilateral flight with two U.S. B-52H Stratofortress bombers escorted by two Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2s, and two ROK Air Force KF-16 fighters—both countries’ respective variants of the F-16—July 11. That same weekend, the top military officers of the three nations…