Daily Report

Orlando, February 18, 2010—The Pentagon’s recently completed comprehensive mobility study finds that there is no need for additional strategic airlift, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley told the audience at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium. In fact, said Donley, the Mobility Capabilities...

Orlando, February 18, 2010—Don’t look for the Air Force to launch any new major programs for the next few years, or perhaps longer, said Air Force Secretary Michael Donley. “For the immediate future, I think our major programs are set,”...

Orlando, February 18, 2010—There were no surprises in the unveiling of the new Russian fifth-generation PAK FA fighter prototype earlier this month, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley told reporters at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium. “I didn’t see anything in that...

Orlando, Feb. 18, 2010—Air Force Space Command has “pretty well solidified” its plan of action for developing USAF’s cadre of cyber professionals, said Gen. Robert Kehler, the command’s boss. That plan is an outgrowth of the template AFSPC crafted for the development of space professionals following the Rumsfeld Space Commission report to Congress back in 2001. “We intend to follow exactly the same course,” he said. Out of this will emerge cyber warriors with the “education, training, experience, and certification” to perform this vital mission, added Kehler, noting that the first undergraduate cyber training course will begin this June at Keelser AFB, Miss. He later told reporters that the class would include about 15 to 20 individuals of various academic backgrounds, but the vast of majority of them will be technical specialists in some field. (AFSPC took cyber operations under its umbrella last summer with activation of its 24th Air Force.)

Orlando, February 18, 2010—Air Force Secretary Michael Donley chided Congress for continuing to add C-17s to the USAF inventory, saying “it’s a double hit” on the service’s priorities. In a press conference at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium, Donley said Congress...

Orlando, February 18, 2010—The Air Force remains “confident and committed to the ultimate success” of the F-35 strike fighter despite the challenges that the program is currently facing, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium. Those...

Orlando, February 18, 2010—Prevailing in today’s fight—the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq—remains the Air Force’s “number one priority,” Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium. He said several trends have emerged from those two contingencies, as well as the US military’s activities in the Horn of Africa, that have driven the service’s pursuit of robust air mobility, intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance, command and control, and partnership-building capacity. First, he said. air mobility’s ability to project US power at great distances “has been critical” to the success of those endeavors since day one and is “on display again” during the troop surge in Afghanistan. Continue

Orlando, February 18, 2010—In a run-up to the Quadrennial Defense Review, the Air Force and Navy discussed future “air-sea concepts” and will jointly pursue capabilities applicable to both, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said during AFA's Air Warfare Symposium. One will be a standoff missile that will replace the AGM-86 on the B-52 and have “applicability to … sea-based” operations as well, Donley said. However, “discussions” continue with the Navy as to how fast the missile should be, and some of its other characteristics.

Orlando, February 18, 2010—USAF Gen. Gene Renuart, head of NORAD and US Northern Command and who is retiring after 38 years of service, told attendees at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium that both his organizations are pushing the ball forward on...

Orlando, February 18, 2010—NORAD/US Northern Command boss, Gen. Gene Renuart, says a lot of hours and effort are going into expansion of US airspace situational awareness. Command officials recently met with Homeland Security to work on a concept called the...

Orlando, February 18, 2010—Gen. Gene Renuart, who leads NORAD and US Northern Command, noted that that upcoming changes in the Arctic region—more sea lanes opening from melting ice with accompanying territorial and resource disputes—will create “stress and competition.” However, in...

The Weekly Standard’s Michael Goldfarb believes the Russian PAK FA (prototype flown last month) is just that, citing a new Air Power Australia analysis by Carlo Kopp and Peter Goon. The defense analysts say “available evidence” shows a “mature production...

Among the aircraft participating in the 81st iteration of Cope North, which concludes Feb. 19, are USAF B-52 bombers and F-16 aggressors, US Navy EA-6B electronic attack aircraft, and Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2s and E-2s. US and Japanese forces...

More than 50 US medics, working with Philippine counterparts, have treated about 2,000 Philippine nationals as part of Pacific Air Forces’ Operation Pacific Angel, which runs through Feb. 22. “We have actually exceeded our initial expectations for total number of...

Last week, airmen of the 449th Air Expeditionary Group and 81st Expeditionary Rescue Squadron, operating out of Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti, demonstrated for Ethiopian Air Force officers US airdrop techniques as part of the 17th Air Force/Air Forces Africa contribution to...

Airmen of the 5th Bomb Wing at Minot AFB, N.D., recently completed—despite severely cold weather—a 48-hour exercise dubbed Prairie Knight to prepare for an operational readiness inspection slated for this summer. “Even in extreme weather, our challenging flight activity plan...

The Arnold Engineering Development Center, headquartered at Arnold AFB, Tenn., has been assisting the Department of Energy in testing drag-reduction devices to help improve fuel consumption by US truckers, employing the AEDC-operated National Full-Scale Aerodynamics Complex in California. DOE has...

Airmen Receive Bronze Stars: The Air Force recently has awarded Bronze Star Medals to eight airmen for their meritorious service while deployed to Southwest Asia. They are:

n Lt. Col. Christopher Mann, Charleston AFB, S.C. (Charleston release)

n Lt. Col. Tony Millican, Nellis AFB, Nev. (Nellis release)

n Lt. Col. Kip Wilkowski, Luke AFB, Ariz. (Luke release)

n Maj. Nathan Dawn, Eglin AFB, Fla. (Eglin release)

n CMSgt. Mark Darden, Nellis (see Nellis release above)

n CMSgt. Edward Jordan, Dyess AFB, Tex. (Dyess release)

n TSgt. Brandon Livingston, Moody AFB, Ga. (two Bronze Stars, Moody release)

n SSgt. Jason Kreider, Moody (see Moody release above)

Air Sorties in Southwest Asia, Feb. 12-13, 2010 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 58 79 137 2,460 CAS/Armed Recon 46 146 192 3,807 Airlift 346 346 6,900 Air refueling 81 81 1,818 Total 756 14,985 OIF=Operation Iraqi...