Daily Report

Feb. 8, 2011

From Strategic to Tactical

With New START now in force, as of Feb. 5, the Obama Administration intends to engage the Russians on reducing both nations’ inventory of tactical nuclear weapons, of which Russia has vastly superior numbers. “The United States will seek to...

Lavelle Nomination Hits Snag

Last August, the nearly 40-year saga to restore the honor of the late Maj. Gen. John Lavelle finally appeared headed towards its climax. Unfortunately for Lavelle supporters, there’ve been complications since then. The Senate Armed Services Committee leadership has voiced...

A Narrow Miss

Federal air safety officials are investigating a near midair collision last month between a commercial airliner and two Air Force C-17s about 80 miles southeast of New York. Several minutes after departing New York’s JFK International Airport, the cockpit proximity...

Building a Resilient Force

Wing commanders and command chief master sergeants across Air Mobility Command took part in a one-day conference at Scott AFB, Ill., on Comprehensive Airmen Fitness. The command began employing CAF in July 2010 in the hopes of creating a “sense...

Embraer Announces Light Air Support Partnership

Brazilian aircraft maker Embraer has teamed with Sierra Nevada in the competition to supply the Air Force’s Light Air Support platform. FlightGlobal reports that US-based Sierra Nevada would be the prime contractor to build Embraer’s Super Tucano light attack aircraft...

Air Force Helps Upgrade Ethiopian Airport

After signing an agreement with the Ethiopian government last November, the Air Force is helping to modernize Arba Minch Airport in southwest Ethiopia, reports Addis Fortune, Ethiopia’s largest English-language newspaper. Workers are extending the airport’s 9,170 foot, hard-surface runway, and...

Cannon Eyed for Massive Housing Upgrade

The Air Force is expected to award a contract early next year for 1,165 new privatized housing units and improvements to hundreds more at six Air Force bases in the Midwest. The majority of the work—construction of 676 new housing...

Transitional Talk at Balad

Senior Iraqi air force leaders toured Joint Base Balad to acquire a better understanding of the base layout, runways, facilities, and fighter aircraft operations. This is part of their preparations to retake control of the base when the US military...

How Tough are You?

Volunteers with the 647th Security Forces Squadron at JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, tested their physical and mental stamina during a grueling two-day trial to see if they have what it takes to attend a two-week air assault course later this...

Afghan Air Force Surveys Flood Damage

Members of the fledgling Afghan air force answered a call from the governors of Afghanistan’s Herat and Shindand districts to conduct an aerial survey of the flood-ravaged Zerko Valley with an Mi-17 helicopter. Flood water last week affected about 2,000...