Technicians at the Ogden Air Logistics Center, Hill AFB, Utah, were able to repair a damaged F-16—slated for a one-way ticket out of the active inventory—avoiding several thousand dollars in commercial repair costs and lengthy down time, according to ALC officials. Technicians of the 649th Combat Logistics Support Squadron have the equipment—in this case, what’s called a production fixture that supports the full aircraft as they removed load bearing panels—and expertise “necessary to perform repairs on aircraft that would otherwise be removed from the active inventory,” said 1st Lt. Joshua Holmes, 649th maintenance officer in charge. The fighter had an inch-long crack around one wing-attach bolt, calling for replacement of the left wing closure beam, said Holmes.
House, Senate Unveil Competing Proposals for 2026 Budget
July 11, 2025
Lawmakers from the House and Senate laid out competing versions of the annual defense policy bill on July 11, with vastly different potential outcomes for some of the Air Force’s most embattled programs.