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.
Air Force depots are not typically meant for quick repair jobs, but during Operation Epic Fury, the service moved some of its stateside heavy maintenance capability forward to fix battle-damaged aircraft closer to the fight.
