Daily Report

April 28, 2014

SpaceX to Protest EELV Contract

SpaceX is suing the Air Force over the service’s latest Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle contract with United Launch Alliance—a joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced Friday. The company is arguing the long-term contract, which...

North Korea Preps for Nuclear Test as Obama Visits Seoul

North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un appears to be in the final preparations for a new nuclear detonation at the country’s Punggye-ri test site, raising tensions in Asia just as President Barack Obama arrived in South Korea Friday. The US-Korea...

Warthog’s Afghan Swansong?

A-10s from Whiteman AFB, Mo., recently deployed to Bagram AB, Afghanistan, on what is likely the type’s last fling over Afghanistan before offensive combat operations cease in December. Air Force Reserve Command A-10s from Whiteman relieved Warthogs of the 75th...

Tyndall’s Combat Raptors Hit IOC

The first combat coded F-22 Raptor squadron at Tyndall AFB, Fla., reached initial operating capability with the arrival of its final F-22 earlier this month, officials announced. “We have all of our aircraft bed down, but we are still receiving...

Improving Cyber Command and Control

Enormous resources are pouring into the Department of Defense to improve cyber capabilities, but the boom must come with proper attention to command and control of such capabilities, according to a new report from the Center for a New American...

Fighting Falcons Fly Alongside Lightning

F-16 pilots from Hill AFB, Fla., conducted the first air-to-air combat training missions alongside F-35 Lightning IIs since the fifth-generation fighters were assigned to the 33rd Fighter Wing at nearby Eglin AFB. “This mission allowed us to train seamless integration...

Another Runway in the Baltic

A pair of F-15Cs aided efforts to certify a second NATO forward operating base in the Baltic region, conducting barrier trials at Amari AB, Estonia, near the capital of Tallinn, according to an April 25 release. NATO fighters currently rotate...

NATO Ponders Next-Gen AWACS

NATO launched preliminary discussion on replacing its E-3A Sentry fleet with a more capable AWACS in the 2030 timeframe, reported Global Security Newswire. New capabilities, including a ballistic missile tracking, maritime surveillance, and improved intelligence and battlefield command and control,...

Thunderbirds Milestone

The USAF Thunderbirds marked their 2,000th official F-16 Fighting Falcon demonstration during an air show at Columbus AFB, Miss., earlier this month. “The F-16 is a remarkable and dependable aircraft. It starts with its design characteristics, but the platform has...

Changes Coming to Air Force Magazine Online

The Air Force Association is launching a members-only area for its content, including specific areas of Air Force Magazine. Over the past few months, AFA has announced several new changes in the realm of digital communications. In February, AFA launched...