Daily Report

On Thursday, the Air Force expects to conduct the first flight of an aircraft powered solely by a biomass-derived jet fuel blend. An A-10 airplane is scheduled to take off from Eglin AFB, Fla., with both of its engines running on a hydrotreated renewable jet (HRJ) fuel that is a mixture of conventional JP-8 jet fuel and oil from the camelina plant, which is related to cabbage and broccoli. "This demonstration underscores our commitment to advancing technologies that increase our use of renewable energy and reduce our consumption of imported foreign oil," said Terry Yonkers, USAF's new logistics czar, in a service release. This test aims to pave the way for HRJ certification flight tests with the C-17, F-15, and F-22 starting this summer. Already those platforms have been cleared to run on another alternative fuel blend consisting of half JP-8 and half paraffinic synthetic kerosene.

The first Air Force-led flight test of the massive ordnance penetrator took place last week, USAF spokesman Capt. Dave Faggard confirmed to the Daily Report Tuesday. The details are sketchy. A B-52 bomber carried the 30,000-pound mega bunker buster for...

Effective Tuesday, warfighters serving in Afghanistan and Iraq for 270 days or more are eligible for 15 days of administrative absence. The Defense Department announced the changes on Monday, saying Afghanistan and Iraq have been designated as nonchargeable rest and...

The World Trade Organization ruled Tuesday that European aircraft maker Airbus received improper subsidies for several of its commercial airliners—thereby giving it an unfair advantage over rival Boeing. The New York Times reported these findings Tuesday, citing US and European...

Retired Gen. Lew Allen Jr., 10th Air Force Chief of Staff who died Jan. 4 in Potomac Falls, Va., at age 84, was laid to rest with full military honors Monday at Arlington National Cemetery. Among those in attendance were...

The Texas Air National Guard’s 273rd Engineering Installation Squadron was recently redesignated as the 273rd Information Operations Squadron to cement its role as part of USAF’s new cyber operations arm led by 24th Air Force at Lackland AFB, Tex. “We...

The Pentagon has signed an agreement with the Air Transport Association of America to promote commercially viable and environmentally friendly aviation fuels and, in the process, diminish US reliance on foreign sources of energy, defense officials announced Tuesday. The association...

Under the tutelage of airmen of the 438th Expeditionary Advisory Group, Afghans in a forward observer class completed all of their objectives at the range, March 16, just prior to their graduation, according to Brig. Gen. Michael Boera, commanding general...

Air Sorties in Southwest Asia, March 19-20, 2010 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 55 77 132 4,667 CAS/Armed Recon 44 152 196 7,092 Airlift 379 379 12,917 Air refueling 88 88 3,263 Rescue 61 61 441 Total...