Bones Leave the AOR
B-1s will be taking a break from the fight in the Middle East for the first time since 2001, as aircraft assigned to the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing head home this month for aircraft modifications. Within the past six months,...
Votel Tapped to Lead CENTCOM
Army Gen. Joseph Votel has been nominated to take over US Central Command, putting a long-time special operations soldier in charge of US operations in the Middle East. Defense Secretary Ash Carter made the announcement during a Jan. 14 news...
F-35 Engines Cheaper Still in Lots 9 and 10
The price of F135 engines, which power the F-35 fighter, will drop again in the ninth and 10th production lots. The F-35 System Program Office announced on Jan. 15 a “handshake deal” with Pratt & Whitney for the work, which...
Protecting the Constellation
The Air Force is changing its training and creating a “cultural shift” in its space domain to prepare for possible future conflicts that could threaten America’s assets in orbit, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said. “We are going to...
Upgrading B-52 Bomb Bays
The Air Force and Boeing have upgraded the bomb bay launchers in six B-52 bombers, allowing the aircraft to carry smart bombs in the weapons bay for the first time. The upgrade is needed as the B-52s eventually transition from...
3-D Printed Parts for AWACS
The 552nd Maintenance Squadron fabrication flight at Tinker AFB, Okla., recently received engineering approval to make and install the first 3-D printed part—a plastic endcap for seat armrests—on an E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft. Engineers at the Oklahoma...
DOD Looking to Triple Maternity Leave
The Defense Department is looking to follow the Navy’s lead by tripling the amount of maternity leave women in the service can take, Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said. The move, which would give a mother 18 weeks of...