Daily Report

US officials aren't sure if the Chinese somehow acquired or stole stealth technology for their J-20 fighter design from the United States, according to Adm. Robert Williard, US Pacific Command boss, Tuesday. "We don’t know," Williard told the Senate Armed Services Committee when asked by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), ranking member. Williard said he has "read an account that indicated that, perhaps, there was an exchange of information as a consequence of the Kosovo campaign and the loss of a [F-]117 that occurred there." However, he added, "I don't know that that's the case." China lifted the veil on the stealthy looking J-20 late last year. News of its first flight came several weeks later as Defense Secretary Robert Gates visited Beijing. Williard said US officials continue to study the J-20 and are "attempting to ascertain its low-observable characteristics." US defense officials have cautioned against making assumptions about the J-20's sophistication based on the little public information available. (Williard written statement)

The Air Force and its industry partners have completed fueling GEO-1, the first Space Based Infrared System geosynchronous satellite, in preparation for its scheduled launch into orbit in early May from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla. "Right now we are on track for a May 6 launch," Jeff Smith, Lockheed Martin's SBIRS program director, told reporters during a telecon Tuesday. Technicians loaded about 5,000 pounds of fuel onto the spacecraft over the course of several days through Monday, said Smith. Next up is to encapsulate the missile early warning satellite in its launch faring on April 22 and then mate the fairing to the launch vehicle three days later. The mated pair will then roll out to the launch pad one day prior to lift-off, said Smith. "We are very excited that the program is to this point that now we are on a cusp of launching our very first geosynchronous satellite, which is going to provide incredible capability for our nation and our warfighters for many years to come," said Col. Roger Teague, director of infrared space systems at Los Angeles AFB, Calif., during the telecon. (See also Los Angeles release)

Lockheed Martin has delivered the second production C-5M transport to the Air Force. While this Super Galaxy is the second C-5 airframe modified to the new M-model configuration on Lockheed’s production line in Marietta, Ga., it is the fifth C-5M...

The Air Force is on track to have its entire inventory of family housing privatized at its stateside bases in 2012, said Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. “We are currently, if I am not mistaken, at around 47,000 privatized...

The Mississippi Air National Guard has activated the 286th Air Operations Group at Key Field in Meridian to support the homeland defense and domestic disaster-response missions of the Continental US NORAD Region and 1st Air Force (Air Forces Northern) at...

NASA Administrator Charles Bolden on Tuesday announced the museums where the four space shuttles will go on permanent display once the shuttle fleet retires later this year. The National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, was not...

Henceforth, the 505th Operations Group and 505th Operations Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nev. are designated the 505th Test and Evaluation Group and 505th Test Squadron, respectively. Rebranded last week during a Nellis ceremony, the 505th TEG and its subordinate squadron...

A new, $15 million gun range has opened at Maxwell AFB, Ala., for airmen undergoing weapons qualification training and for firearms courses for security forces. The new range replaces the base’s old one that dated back to 1945. The fully...

Last month’s tsunami raced over Draughon weapons range near Misawa Air Base in northern Japan, rendering the bomb range unusable for USAF and Japan Air Self Defense Force aircraft. The massive wave breached protective berms, erased roads, and swept targets...

Alliant Techsystems has won a $35.8 million contract from the Air Force for engineering and manufacturing development of the Hard Target Void Sensing Fuze. During the next 37 months, the company will refine the HTVSF design and perform all qualification...