Training for the Air Force’s Combat Systems Officers will be moving to NAS Pensacola, Fla., from Randolph AFB, Tex., in fall 2010 and when it does, CSOs should have a new training facility in place. Navy and Air Force officials broke ground earlier this year on the project which includes construction of a multi-aircraft hangar and navigator training school classrooms. The Air Force plans to activate the 479th Flying Training Group in fall 2009 to handle CSO training at Pensacola. The new hangar will accommodate 11 different aircraft to be used in training CSOs and weapon systems officers. And, the new facility will include six new flight simulators, a step up from the older simulators in use at Randolph now. (Randolph report by Thomas Warner)
In the wake of a major Chinese military shakeup, the head of U.S. Space Command warned of China’s “breathtakingly fast” advances in space during visits to Japan and South Korea. Gen. Stephen N. Whiting’s trip to the Indo-Pacific is his first overseas visit since taking command of SPACECOM in January.