Daily Report

Oct. 21, 2009

More Liberty Aircraft on the Way

The Air Force has asked Hawker Beechcraft to provide six additional MC-12W Liberty Project Aircraft after the company completed delivery of the first 23 of the intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance turboprops, according to a company release. The first of these modified King Air...

Seeking Growler Backseat, No BUFF SOJ

The Air Force definitely has cast aside all pursuit of a B-52 standoff jammer, and instead is working on an airborne electronic attack stand-in capability, Air Staff requirements director Maj. Gen. David Scott said Tuesday during an Association of Old...

No ISR Command

There won’t be a major command for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance or for electronic warfare, but a combined numbered Air Force is a possibility, Air Staff requirements director Maj. Gen. David Scott said Tuesday at an Association of Old Crows...

GE To Continue ADVENT Work

The Air Force Research Lab has funded continued development for General Electric Aviation’s work on the Adaptive Versatile Engine Technology (ADVENT) program, the company announced Oct. 20. AFRL expects the program to advance the state-of-the-art in turbine engine technology. GE...

AT-6 Testing Continues

Hawker Beechcraft Corp. has started work on a second development attack version of its T-6 trainer and expects to complete by year’s end initial flight testing of the first prototype for USAF’s new Light Attack/Armed Reconnaissance aircraft, according to a...

Texas Air Guard Trains With Czechs

Airmen of the Texas Air National Guard’s 149th Fighter Wing in San Antonio deployed to the Czech Republic last month for two weeks of training under the National Guard Bureau’s State Partnership Program. The wing’s F-16s flew against Czech JAS...

Alexander for USCYBERCOM

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has said that President Obama will nominate Army Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander for promotion to four stars and to take command of the new US Cyber Command under US Strategic Command in addition to continuing as...

NASA, AFRL Team for RLV

NASA and the Air Force Research Lab are working together to develop a technology roadmap for the commercial reusable launch vehicle industry, NASA announced last week. The effort is to officially kick off next week in Dayton, Ohio, home to...

Selfridge ANG Scraps Land Use Plan

The Michigan Air National Guard no longer plans to have long-unused land at Selfridge ANG base undergo commercial redevelopment because government business at the facility is now booming. The Detroit News reports that the Air Guard had selected Beztak Companies...

Tuskegee Airman Tull Dies

Retired Lt. Col. Harrison Tull, one of the famed World War II Tuskegee Airmen, died Oct. 11 at age 89 from cancer. Tull, who served with the 477th Bombardment Group in World War II, and, after being recalled to active...

Air Sorties in Southwest Asia

Oct. 16-17, 2009 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 51 66 117 13,315 CAS/Armed Recon 44 143 298 28,224 Airlift 298 298 38,620 Air refueling 91 91 13,952 Total 693 94,111 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance...