Introducing the 25th Air Force

By Marc V. Schanz
The Air Force announced the creation of a new numbered air force as part of a series of organizational reforms rolled out on Monday. The Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Agency will be realigned under the new 25th Air...

F-35 Fire “Isolated” Incident

By John A. Tirpak
Too-tight tolerances between an F135 engine “blisk”—a fan disk with integrated blades—and the surrounding engine casing caused friction that started an F-35 fire at Eglin AFB, Fla., on June 23, Pentagon officials said Monday. The incident led to the grounding...

Headquarters Realignment

By Marc V. Schanz
Making good on promises the service would realign its headquarters, major command, and numbered air force organizations, USAF announced a raft o?f changes on Monday it projects will save $1.6 billion over the next five years. “We are aggressively pursuing...

Air Force Centralizes Mission Support

The Air Force established a new Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, as part of its on-going effort to reduce overhead costs and increase efficiencies, according to a July 14 rel?ease. Under the new construct, Maj. Gen. Theresa Carter...

Just In Time?

By John A. Tirpak
The finding that last month’s F-35 engine fire was due to an isolated incident and not a fleet-wide problem may salvage the F-35’s performance at the Farnborough Air Show, Pentagon acquisition executive Frank Kendall told reporters Monday. The three aircraft...

USAF Certifies Rolls-Royce Engine Package

The Air Force has approved a Rolls-Royce engine enhancement package for use on C-130 aircraft, the company announced Monday. The T56 Series 3.5 package was certified based on a projected 7.9 percent reduction in fuel, although “fuel savings have been...

US, Japan to Update Defense Guidelines

By Marc V. Schanz
The United States and Japan will update their defense guidelines by the end of the year, said Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera during a July 11 joint press conference at the Pentagon. It was the...

Boeing Awarded ALCM Contract

The Air Force has contracted Boeing to remanufacture warhead-arming devices for the service’s air-launched cruise missile, announced Boeing. The two-year, $7.3 million contract, also includes an option for six additional years totaling up to $50 million, according to a July...