The Air Force declares that the Fischer-Tropsch fuel blend is OK for operational B-52H use. The service completed testing a mix of FT and JP-8 on a B-52 bomber—selecting it as first test subject because it has eight engines—and already has started testing the 50-50 blend on a C-17 airlifter. USAF now expects by 2011 to have tested and certified every aircraft type to fly with a domestically produced synfuel. (Read The Fuel War.)
Numbers Game Squeezes USAF Fighter Force
Dec. 15, 2025
Congress set the legal floor for how many primary mission aircraft the Air Force had to have in its fighter force in 2018, requiring at least 1,145 fighters through Oct. 1, 2026. In each of the past past two legislative cycles, lawmakers agreed to reduce the number. But when the House passed…
