Is Britain Ditching JSF?: According to The Sunday Times of London, British defense officials are peeved (our word) because the Pentagon doesn’t want to turn over the technology keys, and—this is probably the break point—they fear the cost is going...

With his promotion to Brigadier General in the Air National Guard, Ernie Talbert became the first African American general officer in the 350-year history of the Delaware National Guard. A command pilot, Talbert spent six years on active duty, before...

Stephen P. Condon, the Board Chairman of the Air Force Association, on Monday sent a letter of support to President Bush, affirming AFA’s backing for the Administration position that US military forces must not withdraw from Iraq before finishing the job—that is, before Iraq has been stabilized. Condon called victory in Iraq an “imperative” that “will not be easy or cheap” to attain, but worth the effort. (Read the letter here.)

The Air Force on Dec. 5 hailed the recipients of the 2004 Mackay Trophy, emblematic of the most noteworthy aircraft flight of the year. The winners were aircrews of the 347th Rescue Wing’s Jolly 11 and Jolly 12 flights. The...

J Model Gets the Works in Tactical Test: The Air Force has been putting the C-130J through more field testing, utilizing the Army’s Joint Readiness Training Center at Ft. Polk, La. Airmen from Little Rock AFB, Ark., conducted the joint...

Jolly 11’s Capt. Bryan Creel and Jolly 12’s Capt. Rob Wrinkle led their crews through a blinding sandstorm, quickly realizing their forward-looking radar and Night Vision Goggles were basically useless. They had no communication with survivors, but tactical assets on...

Development Nears Malmstrom: Concerned citizens in the area around Malmstrom AFB, Mont., are worried that new retail proposals may jeopardize any chance the base would have to sustain a flying operation, reports the Great Falls Tribune. Malmstrom lost its KC-135...

Welcome Mat Out for USAF Training: Believe it or not, a ranch owner in New Mexico has opened a portion of his land for the 58th Special Operations Wing, Kirtland AFB, N.M., to use as an area for MC-130P Combat...

Utah Makes Good on Gift: We reported earlier that UTAH local and state officials had offered to buy some equipment for Utah military facilities—they delivered. The Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill AFB, Utah, has received $4.4 million worth of...

Iran will buy Russian antiaircraft missiles, according to Moscow and Tehran news services. The deal is part of a $1 billion arms purchase that will cover improvements to Russian-made fighter jets operated by the Iranian Air Force, reports the New...

The Two-Year Reserve Duty: Members of the Air Force Reserve Command’s 773rd Airlift Squadron, Youngstown ARS, Ohio, have returned home after two years of duty in Iraq, reports the Youngstown Vindicator. They flew their C-130s for Operation Enduring Freedom and...

Iraqi Aircrew Flies Solo: The first USAF-trained all Iraqi aircrew has flown solo in their C-130E transport. The nine crew members are part of the 23rd Iraqi Squadron. (We reported on their efforts to learn English earlier.) The US Air...

Pyongyang claims the US flew 210 spy flights over its territory in the month of November. The official news agency announced the news late last week, saying different types of aircraft made the flights and labeling the effort an “all...

The National Museum of the US Air Force in Dayton, Ohio, plans to open a new exhibit showcasing the Walt Disney World War II insignia designs. The artwork was seen on aircraft and flight jackets. Museum officials say the exhibit...

The US Transportation Command decision to dramatically scale back the Patriot Express military-chartered air service by 2008 is on track, say Air Mobility Command officials. They say low “duty” ridership demands the cutbacks. And, although TRANSCOM approved a one-year continuation...

Air Force officials believe that knowledge of a foreign language and cultural understanding are “critical enablers of global air and space operations.” USAF has a language and area studies immersion program that builds on foreign language training by providing an...

USAF’s aerial demonstration team, the Thunderbirds, has settled on its 2006 schedule. The team plans to perform 66 shows in 29 states. Some sites will have more than one show, each of which comprises some 40 aerial maneuvers spanning about...

December 2-4, 2005 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 46 11 – 57 CAS/Armed Recon 156 70 – 226 Airlift – – 440 440 Air refueling – – 95 95 Total 202 81 535 818 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation...