The top two Air Force leaders briefed reporters at the Pentagon Tuesday on some QDR issues, reprising much of what we’ve already reported. (See DR 12/12/05) One exception is that USAF plans to procure a total of 183 new F-22 Raptors, not 185 as we were told earlier. The plan, according to Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne, includes keeping the F-22 production line going until 2010. He called it a “national imperative” to keep a fifth generation fighter line warm until the next one (the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter) cranks up.

The Air Force can get seven combat-coded F-22 squadrons out of 183 aircraft, Gen. Michael Moseley, USAF Chief of Staff, told reporters. That is not enough to cover all 10 Air and Space Expeditionary Forces. However, Wynne explained that some...

Moseley stated that the Air Force is “within days” of announcing F-22 initial operational capability. Once that happens, Air Combat Command can deploy the fighter overseas. Moseley said he expects that to happen by early spring. His preferred first destination...

Moseley explained that the rationale behind Raptor’s redesignation as plain F-22 vice F/A-22 is simple: F/A is not really part of present-day Air Force nomenclature. He went on to say that it would have been equally reasonable to designate the...

Wynne and Moseley also briefed reporters on the Air Force plan to begin reducing its strength by 40,000 personnel. They indicated that the cuts will be spread fairly evenly across all six years from 2006 through 2011, and they will...

Moseley had some advice for any Air Force blue-suiter who wants to stay in the service: Look at the career fields that are stretched thin. He said that 13 percent of officer career fields and 20 percent of enlisted fields...

Air Force officials at Edwards AFB, Calif., recently launched a 1,000-pound Joint Direct Attack Munition from an F-22 (let’s use the new terminology) flying at supersonic speed. It was the first test in which the Raptor actually dropped a JDAM...

Show-Me-State Attorney General Jay Nixon filed a lawsuit in federal district court to prevent the Pentagon from moving the F-15 fighters of the Air National Guard’s 131st Fighter Wing out of the state. Nixon says the transfer would “deprive” the...

Air Force Magazine contributing editor To Philpott reports that DOD wants to increase enrollment fees and deductibles for retirees under age 65. Senior Pentagon officials have decried the rising cost of military health care, which they attribute largely to new...

DOD officials expect to complete “general” implementation plans for BRAC 2005 by February 2006. This is the big one, per Philip Grone, deputy undersecretary of defense for installations and environment. It comprises more than 800 installations across the country. Grone...

US Air Force F-15s conducted a “preplanned air strike” near Baghdad, using precision-guided munitions to attack a bunker used by enemy forces, according to US Central Command Air Forces. In other Operation Iraqi Freedom action, a USAF Predator unmanned aerial...

Greece will buy 30 additional F-16 Block 52+ aircraft, with an option for an additional 10 aircraft, to augment its current fleet of F-16 fighters, according to Lockheed Martin officials. The deal for the 30 aircraft is worth $1.2 billion...

The Pakistan Air Force has taken delivery of two new F-16s. It was unclear from news reports on a PAF statement how many or how quickly more fighters would be purchased. Islamabad had said earlier it would need to hold...

The airmen with the 64th Expeditionary Helicopter Maintenance Unit at Balad AB, Iraq, are key to keeping the fleet of Air Force Special Operations Command HH-60G Pave Low helicopters fit for their Combat Search and Rescue mission. The unit has...

First Lt. Michael Small received a Bronze Star for leading and helping organize the first Air Force-only Security Forces unit to conduct law and order operations on an Army facility—Forward Operating Base Marez in Mosul, Iraq. Under his watch, the...

North American Aerospace Defense Command is preparing for its upcoming Christmas Eve Santa Claus escort, outfitting Canadian CF-18s with “SantaCams” and preparing pilots for specialized training for the high-profile escort mission. The tradition runs back to US Air Force Continental...

Let Me Dance Among the Stars: British billionaire Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic will place its headquarters and mission control center in New Mexico, per an agreement announced Tuesday. The company plans to build a $200 million spaceport on 27 acres...

The Air Force has renewed its recruiting advertisement effort with the Wood Brothers racing team for a sixth year, Utilizing the Wood Brothers/JTG Racing No. 21 car, driven by NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader. In 2006, the Air Force gets to...

December 12, 2005 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 10 4 – 14 CAS/Armed Recon 58 20 – 78 Airlift – – 175 175 Air refueling – – 33 33 Total 68 24 208 300 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation...