Daily Report

Jan. 21, 2010

The “Less Ambitious” F-35 Program

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz confirmed Wednesday at a Washington conference that the Pentagon would slow F-35 production in the early years, making adjustments first in the Fiscal 2011 defense budget. (See F-35 Ramp-up Slowed) However, contrary...

The Legacy Cut Stands

Although Gen. Norton Schwartz, USAF Chief of Staff, acknowledged Wednesday during an Institute for Foreign Policy Analysis-Fletcher School conference in Washington, D.C., that the planned slowdown in F-35 strike fighter production (see above, The “Less Ambitious” F-35 Program) would leave...

Got KC-X Requirements Right

Despite continued complaints from one of the two likely competitors for the KC-X tanker program, Gen. Norton Schwartz, USAF Chief of Staff, maintains that the forthcoming request for proposals is on the mark. He told a Washington, D.C., conference Wednesday,...

“Herculean Work”

Those are the words Army Maj. Gen. Daniel Allyn, the second in command of the US military’s Haiti relief effort—now called Joint Task Force Unified Response—used to describe efforts to open and operate the international airport in the earthquake-ravaged country....

No B-52, But We’ll Take OC-135

According to Gen. Norton Schwartz, USAF Chief of Staff, Joint Task Force Unified Response turned down USAF’s proffer of a Sniper-equipped B-52 to help with Haiti relief efforts. He made the comment Wednesday at a Washington, D.C., conference to illustrate...

USAF Sticking With GPS

Speaking Wednesday at a Washington, D.C., conference, Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force Chief of Staff, said that the US military and its allies must be able to operate in a GPS-denied environment. The efforts by adversaries to jam or otherwise...

90th MW Ready for Action

Air Force Global Strike Command has declared its 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., mission ready following the unit’s first full no-notice nuclear surety inspection under the new command. AFGSC had conducted limited NSIs for all three of...

RERP Door Remains Open for C-5A

According to Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air Force Chief of Staff, the service has not closed the door on providing new engines as well as avionics upgrades to its oldest C-5 airlifters, the A models. Currently, the service has planned only...

Wind Turbines OK With Travis

At least the current projects by developers in Solano County, Calif., have passed muster with officials at Travis Air Force Base, where there were initial concerns that ongoing wind turbine projects might adversely affect the base’s air traffic control radar....

Air Sorties from SWA 012110

Air Sorties in Southwest Asia, Jan. 17-18, 2010 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 38 66 104 1,035 CAS/Armed Recon 26 154 180 1,679 Airlift 315 315 2,796 Air refueling 84 84 777 Total 683 6,287 OIF=Operation Iraqi...