The Air Force is pursing upgrades to keep the high-flying U-2 reconnaissance aircraft useful—at least until 2011—even as the service investigates whether it should keep the aircraft but dump the pilot. The Dragon Lady, now getting a dual data link capability among other improvements, was high on the service’s list of aircraft to retire. An Air Combat Command news release notes that the Dual Data Link 2 enables the U-2 to give real-time intelligence to both combatant commanders on the ground and ground stations in the US. Maj. Thomas Bailey, DDL2 program manager, says the data link gives the Air Force a 100 percent increase in raw intelligence data.
Now Enlisted Airmen Can Stay in Uniform Longer
Dec. 8, 2023
The Air Force is extending the amount of time Airmen can spend at most enlisted ranks by two years, as the service looks to combat sluggish recruiting and balance its force structure. The High Year of Tenure (HYT) program sets limits on how long service members can spend in each grade…