Daily Report

The House Appropriations Committee has included funds for an additional eight C-17 airlifters in its version of the Fiscal 2009 defense supplemental bill now before Congress, and a bipartisan group of 19 Senators have petitioned Senate appropriators to up the...

In comments to reporters May 12, Army Chief of Staff Gen. George Casey said that the capability to resupply soldiers at forward locations via airlift is still valid but soldiers “do not have to fly the planes.” Last year, the...

The Air Force Tuesday clarified its thinking on a next-generation gunship for Air Force Special Operations Command. An AFSOC official told the Daily Report last year that the command wanted a variant of the C-27J—the AC-27 “Stinger”—as its gunship light...

It may be worth noting that a few years ago Air Combat Command leaders—including then-ACC chief Gen. Ron Keys—were suggesting that the 2018 next-generation bomber might serve as a basis for a replacement for the AC-130 gunship. Both a new...

Maj. Gen. William Lord, commander of Air Force Cyber Command (Provisional), last week told attendees at an industry association meeting at Hanscom AFB, Mass., that “it is easier to get approval to do a kinetic strike with a 2,000-pound bomb...

That is what Lt. Gen. Gary North, 9th Air Force/Air Forces Central commander, told Afghan news media last month when he discussed coalition and NATO air operations in Afghanistan, according to a May 8 release. He acknowledged that fighting conditions...

Former Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne told Wired’s Danger Room that one way for the US military to get ahead in the strategic communications struggle over operations in Afghanistan might be to enlist US service members in the blogosphere. Defense...

An F-16C at Aviano AB, Italy, on May 5 surpassed 7,000 flying hours. The 20-year-old fighter, tail #2057, is the first Aviano Viper to reach this mark, 3,000 hours past the original service life expected for the air-to-ground fighter. Structural...

The Pentagon announced May 12 that President Obama has nominated Adm. James Stavridis to replace Army Gen. Bantz Craddock as Supreme Allied Command Europe and commander of US European Command. Craddock plans to retire this summer after some 40 years...

Boeing has announced plans to field an unmanned aerial flying test bed, called Phantom Ray, to be used to develop advanced air system technologies. According to a May 8 company release, the Phantom Ray demonstrator, which will make its first...

Air Sorties in War on Terrorism, Southwest AsiaMay 10, 2009 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 28 20 48 5,163 CAS/Armed Recon 24 75 99 12,699 Airlift 170 170 17,624 Air refueling 47 47 5,727 Total 364 41,213...