Daily Report

Sept. 22, 2008

Reimburse Northrop?

Pentagon acquisition guru John Young says Northrop Grumman is due a termination fee for the failed KC-X tanker program and that it could amount to “tens of millions of dollars,” according to a Bloomberg News report (via Los Angeles Times)....

Throw Nothing Away

Those 50 ICBMs pulled from silos once operated by the now-inactivated 564th Missile Squadron at Malmstrom AFB, Mont., probably will serve as test vehicles to help extend the life of remaining Minuteman III missiles, Air Force Gen. Kevin Chilton told...

Global Hawk Generating Interest in Pacific

The top airman in the Pacific believes that key regional allies are very interested in the coming arrival of the RQ-4 Global Hawk in theater, and its presence will help build up multilateral relationships and data sharing. Several nations, including...

Making a China Visit

The head of Pacific Air Forces, Gen. Howie Chandler, is “somewhat optimistic” about building transparency with the Chinese government and the People’s Liberation Army Air Force. In a Sept. 17 interview during AFA’s Air & Space Conference, Chandler said he...

Flying C Models in SWA

A former North Carolina-based A-10 force has deployed for the first time with their upgraded C model Warthogs from their new home base in Georgia. The 75th Fighter Squadron, formerly at Pope Air Force Base, deployed from Moody Air Force...

And the NORAD-NORTHCOM Response

Last week we reported that two influential lawmakers asked DOD to halt the shift of forces from Cheyenne Mountain AFS, Colo., pending further review of the effort, which Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) and Rep. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) believe may have...

From Bombers to Space

One of the legendary Doolittle Raiders helped usher a unit he commanded from bombers into the space arena, as Air Force Reserve Command reactivated the 380th Bomb Squadron as the 380th Space Control Squadron in Colorado Springs, Colo. On Sept....

Building Up Whiteman

Rep. Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) released a statement commending the Pentagon for its plan to construct 191 new family housing units at Whiteman Air Force Base near Knob Knoster and to make improvements to barracks at Ft. Leonard Wood. For the...

Advancing Vet Health Funding

Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, led a bipartisan group of Senators in support of new legislation that would provide “advance funding’ for veterans’ health care. In a Sept. 18 statement, Akaka called the funding for...

Total Force Tinker to Get New Facility

The Air Force broke ground last week for a new $8 million joint squadron operations facility that will serve as the nerve center for the Oklahoma Air National Guard’s 137th Air Refueling Wing and Air Force Reserve Command’s 507th ARW....