Daily Report

Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.), Senate Armed Services Committee chairman, said last week the committee would investigate the Air Force’s inadvertent release of KC-X tanker data to ensure that there has been no violation of acquisition law. "I am prepared to direct staff immediately to initiate an investigation into the release of proprietary data to determine if laws and fair competition regulations have been appropriately followed,” he said Dec. 22 on the Senate floor. Levin also said he intends to hold one or more committee hearings by Feb. 1 "to consider these issues." Levin took this action at the request of Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), who expressed concern that same day over the data release and whether it placed would-be KC-X supplier Boeing, which has a large presence in her state, at a competitive disadvantage against EADS North America, its rival in the KC-X contest. The Air Force has said the data release was an unfortunate clerical error that has no impact on the competition. USAF officials have said they intend to announce the KC-X winner in early January. (Cantwell-Levin transcript)

The Senate last week ratified the New START arms reduction treaty with Russia by a margin of 71 to 26, delivering President Obama a key victory for his foreign policy agenda. “This is the most significant arms control agreement in...

HR 6523, the modified version of the Fiscal 2011 defense authorization bill, last week cleared the final hurdles en route to President Obama’s desk for his signature. The Senate approved the $724.6 billion piece of legislation on Dec. 22, five...

The Pentagon’s new Defense Space Council, chaired by Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, last week met for the first time, according to a Defense Department release. Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn recently created the council to coordinate space issues...

There is a flurry of construction activity at the Abraham Lincoln Capital Airport in Springfield, Ill., as the Air National Guard’s 183rd Fighter Wing transitions to its new non-flying missions after operating fighters for nearly 60 years. Springfield’s State Journal-Register...

The Air Force has awarded Boeing a $44 million contract to supply C-17 integrated training centers to three Globemaster bases, the company announced. Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, will receive the first ITC in the first quarter of 2012. JB Lewis-McChord, Wash.,...

Members of the Hawaii National Guard spent six days at Bellows Air Force Station training as a chemical, biological, nuclear, high-yield explosive enhanced response force, or CERF. Joint Interagency Training and Education Center officials evaluated this team, which included airmen...

A $76,000 restoration of several aircraft at the Peterson Air and Space Museum on the grounds of Peterson AFB, Colorado, is expected to be complete by the start of the new year. NORAD and US Northern Command funded the project,...

Air Sorties in Southwest Asia, Dec. 14, 2010 Sortie Type OND OEF OND/OEF Total YTD ISR 22 75 97 27,066 CAS/Armed Recon 8 83 91 34,255 Airlift 186 186 60,345 Air refueling 47 47 16,864 Rescue 25 25 7,934 Total...