Daily Report

Tanker Reverberations: Reaction varied on Capitol Hill after Monday’s news that Northrop Grumman was exiting the Air Force KC-X tanker competition. (See below, Opting Out) The mood was dark out of Alabama, where Northrop and its partner EADS North America...

Northrop Grumman on Monday officially pulled the plug on its participation in the Air Force’s KC-X tanker contest. In a statement, Northrop CEO and President Wes Bush said the company “will not submit a bid” for the rights to build...

Deputy Defense Secretary William Lynn said Monday Pentagon officials "are disappointed" by Northrop Grumman's decision to withdraw from the Air Force's KC-X tanker contest (see Opting Out above). Further, he said the Defense Department still thinks the KC-X competition is "structured fairly" and that "both companies could compete effectively." Meanwhile, Boeing, which is now ostensibly the sole bidder, "remains 100 percent focused ... and intends to submit a fully responsive, transparent, and competitive proposal," said company spokesman Bill Barksdale. (Lynn statement) (Boeing statement) (See also EADS North America release)

The Air Force’s plans for re-engining its 17 E8-C Joint STARS ground-surveillance aircraft are in limbo, says Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. Already the E-8C testbed aircraft is fitted with new engines and the service intends to...

Air Combat Command is sticking with the same message that Gen. William Fraser, ACC boss, gave to reporters in February when discussing the Air Force’s F-35A strike fighter in-service date. In a statement provided to the Daily Report Monday, the...

Pratt & Whitney has announced that its PW4062 engines are the powerplants of choice for Boeing’s NewGen Tanker design. Boeing disclosed March 4 that it would offer the 767-based NewGen Tanker to the Air Force in the KC-X tanker competition....

Tuesday kicks off two days of celebration in the Washington, D.C., area in honor of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II. These women flew non-combat military missions to free their male counterparts for combat. President Obama last July signed legislation into law awarding them a Congressional Gold Medal. On Tuesday, there will be a wreath laying and remembrance ceremony at the Air Force Memorial in Arlington, Va., for the 38 WASPs who died in the line of duty. A reception will follow at Arlington National Cemetery. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz is scheduled to be at the reception and make brief remarks. On Wednesday, Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and he are scheduled to attend the Congressional Gold Medal ceremony in the US Capitol building where the surviving WASPs will receive their medals. Donley will speak there, we are told. (Women's Memorial release)

Pakistan Air Force pilots and aircrew got together with their US Air Force counterparts in early March at PAF Chaklala for an information exchange on aerial refueling. “With the planned arrival of more F-16s to Pakistan later this year, developing...

Air Sorties in Southwest Asia, March 3-4, 2010 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 55 65 120 3,618 CAS/Armed Recon 28 155 183 5,547 Airlift 333 333 10,086 Air refueling 82 82 2,587 Rescue 25 25 98 Total...