Daily Report

Dec. 20, 2011

Overhead Vigilance Helped Keep Final Iraq Convoy Safe

A lone U-2 Dragon Lady and an E-8C JSTARS were among the aircraft that flew the final intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance sorties over Iraq to guard the last US convoy as it drove into Kuwait to complete the US military pullout. “We were...

US Predator Flights Continue over Parts of Iraq

While US combat troops are now out of Iraq, Predator remotely piloted aircraft operating from Incirlik AB, Turkey, will continue flying unarmed reconnaissance flights over northern Iraq to support NATO ally Turkey in its conflict against the separatist Kurdistan Workers...

MC-12 Fleet Stays with Air Force

A Senate-sponsored measure to transfer the Air Force’s fleet of MC-12 Liberty intelligence-reconnaissance-surveillance aircraft to the Army did not make it in the final version of the Fiscal 2012 defense policy bill that Congress finalized last week for the President’s...

Japan Selects F-35

Lockheed Martin announced on Monday that the Japan Ministry of Defense has selected the F-35 strike fighter as the Japan Air Self Defense Force’s next-generation fighter aircraft, following Japan’s F-X competitive bid process. Japan will order the F-35A conventional takeoff...

Fighters Are Good

Air Force officials don’t think the loss of the stealthy RQ-170 Sentinel remotely piloted reconnaissance aircraft to Iran means a major change in the status quo of air-to-air dominance—a balance that currently swings in favor of the United States. “Any...

WGS-4 Encapsulated in Payload Fairing

Engineers have mated the Air Force’s fourth Wideband Global Satellite Communications spacecraft with its payload fairing in preparation for the satellite’s scheduled launch next month. The satellite is set to go into orbit on Jan. 19 aboard a United Launch...

Air Force Procures Avenger for Testing

The Air Force announced that it is acquiring a Predator C Avenger remotely piloted aircraft from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for use as a test asset. The service will utilize the jet-powered, multi-role vehicle in activities that help the United...

New KC-10 Training Facility at Travis

Officials at Travis AFB, Calif., opened the Air Force’s first facility dedicated to training KC-10 Extender aircrew and cargo handlers to load and handle freight on the aircraft. The new KC-10 Cargo Load Training Facility includes an outdoor pallet-loading dock,...

Air Force Reserve Command Opens Heritage Hall

Artifacts spanning the period from World War I to today’s Afghanistan conflict now adorn three stories of Air Force Reserve Command headquarters at Robins AFB, Ga., charting nearly a century of Reserve contributions to the flying service. Stretching from the...