Modifications to USAF KC-135 tanker aircraft at Fairchild AFB, Wash., will bring 28 new jobs and $2 million in economic impact to the Spokane area, reports the Spokesman Review.com. The workers—13 full-time Air National Guardsmen and 15 Boeing personnel—will install mechanical brakes on the aircraft’s stabilizer trim system. To create the 13 Air Guard positions, the Washington ANG’s 141st Air Refueling Wing plans to convert some current part-time positions—the traditional weekend warrior type spots—to full-time positions.
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas and the consequences of agencies…
