Daily Report

The Air Force will design its new long-range bomber by leveraging the best of today’s technology and not trying to incorporate exceedingly risky approaches, USAF Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Philip Breedlove told lawmakers Wednesday. “One of the cost-savings approaches...

The Defense Department remains convinced that the Air Force’s inadvertent release of confidential data to the two KC-X tanker bidders does not impeach the fair and open process of selecting the winner, said Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell Wednesday. “[I]t was...

The performance “troubles” with the Air Force’s new Gorgon Stare sensor system “are very close” to being fixed or “fixed now,” Gen. Philip Breedlove, USAF’s vice chief of staff, said Wednesday. “The program is, quite frankly, performing better. And we...

Russia’s Federation Council, its upper house of parliament, on Wednesday approved the New START arms reduction agreement, less than five weeks after the US Senate ratified the pact. After adding several unilateral, non-binding declarations to the treaty, the 137 council...

US defense officials “don’t know, frankly, much” right now about the sophistication of China’s J-20 aircraft, Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said Wednesday. Accordingly, it’s too early to hail this platform as a major, foreboding advance in Chinese aircraft design, he...

Deputy Defense Secretary Bill Lynn on Wednesday called on Congress to complete work on a defense spending bill for Fiscal 2011. "Unfortunately, if the Congress leaves the department on a year-long continuing resolution for Fiscal 2011 at reduced funding levels, we will likely see a drop in both effectiveness and efficiency this year," Lynn told the House Armed Services Committee while testifying on the Pentagon's efficiency initiative and budget matters. The continuing resolution, if it remains in place, will provide $530 billion for national defense this fiscal year, down about $18 billion from the Pentagon's original budget request. Lynn said the reduced level "would cause severe problems, likely requiring us to curtail critical activities needed to support our troops and carry out our national security mission." (Lynn's prepared remarks) (See also Budget Outlook from the Daily Report archives)

Lockheed Martin and Raytheon each have won a $107 million contract for the next phase of the Air Force’s Space Fence program, the Defense Department announced Wednesday. Under the contracts, each company’s team will provide a preliminary design of the...

AF-4, the fifth and final F-35A test aircraft, has arrived at Edwards AFB, Calif., for flight testing. Testers will use AF-4 in activities including high-angle-of-attack and air-start trials, according to an Edwards release. This airframe joins AF-1, AF-2, and AF-3,...

Nathan Hunter, an Air Force Office of Special Investigations special agent assigned to Luke AFB, Ariz., has received the Bronze Star medal for his meritorious service during a six-month deployment to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan. “It is the greatest honor of...

The 52nd Fighter Wing at Spangdahlem AB, Germany, has received its first government-owned hybrid automobile. “We’re sending a message to everyone else that we’re conscious about environmental stewardship. Our car is an example of that,” said Col. Christopher Weggeman, 52nd...