An estimated 1,500 Boeing Co. machinists have gone on strike after labor talks between their union and the Boeing unit that operates the Delta rocket broke down, per the Dow Jones newswire. Of concern to the Air Force would be the Boeing Delta launch operations at Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., and Vandenberg AFB, Calif. Boeing already postponed launch of a NASA environmental satellite, believing a strike was imminent.
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
