A team headed by Boeing and another headed by Raytheon will develop competing concepts for the Small Diameter Bomb, Increment II program. Boeing, whose team includes former competitor Lockheed Martin, will get $145.7 million and Raytheon $143.9 million for the...

The F-16s of the 80th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan AB, South Korea, took to the skies recently to take on the F/A-18 Hornets of Marine Aircraft Group One’s VMFA-3M “Black Knights” as part of the annual Hollandia dissimilar air combat...

What About Iran’s Weapons?: The Center for Strategic and International Studies has released a draft of a report on Iran and its ability to deliver the nuclear weapons the country claims it is developing. Penned by Anthony Cordesman and Visiting...

The tactical air controllers of the 25th Air Support Operations Squadron are practicing their basic close-combat skills at Wheeler Army Air Field, Hawaii, in preparation for an upcoming deployment to Southwest Asia. Air Force Tactical Air Control Party airmen serve...

Air Force Space Command announced Monday that a Minotaur rocket successfully launched from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., lifting off from Space Launch Complex 8, on April 14. The Minotaur, a ground-based version of Orbital Science Corp.’s air-launched Pegasus rocket, boosted the...

The Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter team says it has successfully completed the structural coupling testing of the F-35 next-generation fighter five days ahead of schedule. The JSF team has moved on to other ground tests. With the first flight...

Radio Meets Internet as Aid to Convoys and More: The Air Force is leading a joint effort to put the “Radio over Internet Protocol Routed network”—or RIPRnet—system into action in Southwest Asia. The new system enables convoy radios to tie...

How Will the Internet Affect Military Ops?: The Defense Science Board plans to find out, launching a summer study to come to grips with the revolutionary military operations that include “Googling” and “blogging.” The increasing reliance of the military on...

Boeing’s Wichita Operations Cut Jobs: Boeing is restructuring its Wichita, Kan., operations, laying off approximately 900 because of defense budget cuts, program delays, and contract completions. According to Derek McLuckey, general manager of the site, the Wichita plant will continue...

Hot-Fire of LOX-Methane Engine: NASA officials say the hot-fire test of an engine fueled by liquid oxygen and liquid methane ran successfully for 103 seconds. They called the test a “major milestone” in the search for next-generation spaceflight technologies. NASA...

Faces of Fallen Exhibit Extended—Again: The Women in Military Service Memorial in Arlington, Va., has extended the exhibit “Faces of the Fallen” through May 31. The exhibit, which already had been extended at least twice, features more than 1,300 portraits...

Reading Between the SAR Lines: The Pentagon’s recently released Selected Acquisition Report cited cost growth for 36 programs, as measured against new rules mandated by Congress in the 2006 defense authorization act. What are these new rules? According to Rep....

Taiwan Shows Off New E2Ks: Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian recently presided over the commissioning ceremony of newly arrived E2K early-warning aircraft at one of the island’s military bases. With these new aircraft, reports the China Post, Taiwan can expand its...

April 17, 2006 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 11 7 18 CAS/Armed Recon 18 22 40 Airlift 150 150 Air refueling 34 34 Total 29 29 184 242 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance