t: Air Forces Southern, fresh off of the smashing success of its first Operation Southern Partner partnership-building activities in South America, is already planning for the next iteration in this series of subject-matter exchanges with partner air forces in its area of responsibility. Having just sponsored a two-week trip of more than 70 airmen to South America to work alongside airmen from Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay, AFSOUTH intends to carry out the next OSP, this time in the Caribbean, in spring 2009. “Our team is building on the lessons learned … to ensure the next OSP is even more useful to our partners, includes more opportunities to meet with members of the community, and is even more groundbreaking than the first iteration,” said Lt. Col. Mitch Hanscom, OSP director. (12th Air Force report by Capt. Nathan D. Broshear)
Bell Textron has won DARPA's contest for a no-runway, high-speed drone that will prove out technologies useful for special operations forces and possibly the Air Force's Agile Combat Employment concept. Bell's design converts a tiltrotor to a jet-powered aircraft able to fly at up to 450 knots.