Almanac: Equipment

A hydraulic system failure is to blame for the December 2022 accident that sparked the fire that torched a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber beyond repair at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., the Air Force said in an accident investigation report published Aug. 5.

New artificial intelligence technology powered by in-flight internet kept C-130 transport crews ahead of the curve this summer at a massive Pacific wargame.

A year away from its likely retirement—and 70 years to the day after the first U-2 flight—a two-seat version of the Dragon Lady from the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale Air Force, Calif., set records for distance covered and endurance on a single mission, demonstrating the venerable type’s continuing capability.

In late June, Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman’s official portrait got a slight update: his space operations badge, given to Guardians in the space ops career field, vanished. That wasn’t an oversight, Lt. Gen. DeAnna M. Burt, the Space Force’s chief operations officer, revealed. Rather, it was a…

The Space Force will finish an analysis of alternatives for how to do airborne moving target indication from orbit this fall and rely upon early lessons learned from its still new effort to target objects on the ground as it forges ahead, the service’s chief operations officer said Aug. 4. 

A migration of fighter jets began across South Korea on July 28, as the first of 31 F-16s relocated from Kunsan Air Base to Osan Air Base, about 80 miles closer to the North Korean border. By October, all 31 aircraft and about 1,000 Airmen will be reassigned to Osan…

An F-15E had a tough landing at Kadena Air Base in Japan on Aug. 4 after leaving behind a key piece of equipment during takeoff: a wheel. The two Airmen on board were not hurt during the landing, according to a statement from the 18th Wing at Kadena.

The Space Force has a new No. 2 officer, and U.S. Africa Command has its first ever leader from the Air Force. The Senate voted to confirm Lt. Gen. Shawn W. Bratton as Vice Chief of Space Operations and Air Force Lt. Gen. Dagvin Anderson as commander of AFRICOM on July 31.…

C-130 Hercules maintainers worked through tropical heat on Guam to keep the transport planes running troops and equipment across the Department-Level Exercise series.