The US and Japan are close to reaching an agreement about returning airspace over Yokota Air Base back to Japanese control, according to Associated Press news service. Remember that last spring US officials called such speculation “premature.” Now it would appear the move to ease operations for commercial airlines operating in Japan is set to return an unspecified amount of airspace that would provide more direct routes to civilian airports. The transfer date, reports AP, likely would happen by September 2008.
A combined Navy and Air Force program is seeking to build a smaller version of a ubiquitous air-to-air missile that could give advanced aircraft, such as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, greater magazine depth in a high-end fight.