Scott Schonauer of Stars and Stripes continues his report on the airmen performing ground combat duties in Iraq, writing that airmen with Det. 3 of the 732nd Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron are “shattering long-held stereotypes” that airmen are “soft.” (An earlier report noted that there would be more airmen serving in-lieu-of soldiers instead of fewer.) Schonauer reports that the Det. 3 airmen are largely volunteers, coming from bases around the world. They are serving for one year, operating from an austere site near Baghdad to help train the Iraqi police force.
The F-35 Joint Program Office has officially announced plans to issue multiple sole-source contracts to Pratt & Whitney to upgrade the fighter’s F135 engine—a widely expected move after Pentagon officials indicated they would do so earlier this year instead of developing an entirely new engine.