Congress Sees U-2s Flying through 2016, at Least

House and Senate defense authorizers agreed in conference that the Air Force must seek Congress’ approval if the service wishes to phase out the U-2 reconnaissance fleet after 2016. They want to ensure that RQ-4 Global Hawk remotely piloted aircraft...

Force Shaping Continues

The Air Force will extend voluntary separation programs for enlisted airmen, such as date-of-separation rollbacks, as it continues to manage its force structure to meet its Congressionally mandated active duty end strength, announced service officials. USAF also will extend waivers...

BACN Payloads for Two More Global Hawks

The Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a $47.2 million contract for the purchase and integration of two Battlefield Airborne Communications Node payloads on two RQ-4 Global Hawk Block 20 remotely piloted aircraft. The Defense Department announced this transaction on Wednesday...

Kandahar Unit Provides Around-the-Clock Overhead Support

Members of the 62nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron at Kandahr Airfield in Afghanistan are continually busy supporting coalition ground troops fighting insurgents in the country. The unit’s primary role is to launch and recover all MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper armed...

USAF Maintainers Qualify in F-35A Inspections

For the first time, an Air Force maintainer certified other USAF wrench turners assigned to the 33rd Fighter Wing at Eglin AFB, Fla., in numerous flight-inspection tasks for the F-35A strike fighter. “This first-ever Air Force-to-Air Force on-the-job training event...

McGuire KC-10s Launch in Surge Drill

Members of the 305th Air Mobility Wing and Air Force Reserve Command’s 514th AMW at JB McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., completed their first “elephant walk” surge exercise in nearly five years, launching 12 KC-10 tankers, one right after the other, over a...

In the Peloton

Airmen voted the Air Force the 18th best place to work in the federal government in 2011. The rating is based on the Partnership for Public Service’s survey of 33 large federal agencies. The nonpartisan, nonprofit organization says its ratings...

The Checkerboard Returns

The eight KC-135s of the Air National Guard’s 127th Air Refueling Group at Selfridge ANGB, Mich., will sport the distinctive checkerboard design long associated with military aircraft at the base, but absent since the group began flying KC-135s in 2008....