Lockheed Martin turned on the power to the Air Force’s next-generation Global Positioning System satellite ground test bed, checking off another important milestone on the way to the scheduled 2014 launch of the first GPS Block III satellite. The GPS...

A pair of freshly refurbished T-38 Talons landed at Tyndall AFB, Fla., enhancing combat training for the 325th Fighter Wing’s F-22s. The two T-38s, regenerated at Holloman AFB, N.M., arrived on Oct. 6. They are the first of 20 earmarked...

An MQ-9 Reaper assigned to the 29th Attack Squadron crashed on final approach at Holloman AFB, N.M., last week, according to base officials. The remotely piloted aircraft, operated by one of Air Combat Command’s RPA flying training units, had just...

The Air Force Research Lab has snubbed potential maintenance costs associated with the F-22’s engine, possibly saving the Air Force millions of dollars. Before AFRL’s propulsion researchers discovered the “snubber,” a tiny, $35 rubber vibration damper to help prevent cracks...

A team of Air Force engineers successfully demonstrated three battlefield-requested capabilities for the E-3 Sentry AWACS aircraft during proof-of-concept testing at Tinker AFB, Okla. The upgrades require only minimal modifications to E-3. The first is the Situational Awareness Data Link....

Members of the 2nd Security Forces Squadron at Barksdale AFB, La., moved into their new headquarters complex. The 40,000-square-foot building is much larger than the 1930s-era hangar that the squadron formerly called home, but was not large enough to accommodate...

Procuring F-22s is a viable option for the Marine Corps in place of acquiring the F-35B strike fighter, according to one Marine Corps officer. Doing this “may seem like an extreme course of action, but it makes the most sense...

Beyond advanced military capabilities, a vibrant US economy ultimately may be the best weapon in deterring China, according to a RAND paper. “It is often said that a strong economy is the basis of a strong defense. In the case...

FAA Investigates Near-Collision Claim: The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a claim by an Alaska flying instructor that a C-17 assigned to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson overtook her single-engine Cessna while flying a practice mission near Wasilla last month, reported the...

Northrop Grumman’s X-47B naval unmanned combat air system demonstration aircraft successfully flew in its cruise configuration for the first time. The milestone flight, conducted Sept. 30 from Edwards AFB, Calif., helped to validate the navigation hardware and software used to...