Will ICBM Force Drop?

Congress decided that it will not let the Air Force reduce the Minuteman ICBM force from 500 to 450 missiles until it receives a report providing “detailed strategic justification”—something lawmakers say the Quadrennial Defense Review failed to provide. However, in...

If Yes, Target is 564th

Air Force Space Command already has targeted the 564th Missile Squadron at Malmstrom AFB, Mont., reports Associated Press news service. AP obtained a copy of a memo from Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley to Lt. Gen. Frank Klotz, AFSPC...

Turning Silver

Members of the F-117 Nighthawk community—retired and active—gathered at Holloman AFB, N.M., Oct. 29 for the Silver Stealth ceremony to celebrate the aircraft’s 25 years of history and 250,000 flying hours. “This was a strategic weapon that really reshaped how...

Back to Square One on C-17s?:

While the 2007 defense authorization bill appeared to pull the C-17 production line out of the jaws of a shutdown, Boeing officials told reporters Monday that DOD needs to start thinking about its airlift needs—again. C-17 Program Manager Dave Bowman...

The Air Force Is in Port

Airmen working with the Combined Joint Task Force—Horn of Africa help secure US Navy ships at Djibouti City’s port. Every time a Navy vessel approaches the port, a joint effort by the US Embassy, the Djiboutian military, and the US...

X-48B Set for Ground Tests

Boeing says its X-48B blended wing body concept aircraft will soon begin ground testing at NASA’s Dryden Flight Research Center at Edwards AFB, Calif., in preparation for flight testing early next year. “Earlier wind tunnel testing and the upcoming flight...

Cape Launches Delta II

Airmen with Air Force Space Command’s 45th Space Wing coordinated launch operations last week at Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., for a Boeing Delta II boosting two NASA solar research satellites into orbit. According to a NASA news release, the satellites...

Clear, Hold, and Build is Missing the Build:

Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) thinks President Bush’s “Clear, Hold and Build” strategy is missing the “build” component, not a fault of the US military but rather of other US civil agencies. However he does think the US military needs to...

Pushing the Envelope on Energy:

To underscore USAF’s dual priorities of energy conservation, and development of alternative energies, William Anderson, assistant secretary for installations, environment and logistics, began a tour Oct. 25 of top Air Force energy-saving installations. His first stops took him to Edwards...

JSF Front Runner in Turkey:

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter seems to be edging out the competition in Turkey to provide the Turkish Air Force with 100 new fighter aircraft, reports the Turkish Daily News. Turkey’s military command told the government’s defense agency that it...

If the Dems Win, What Then?:

Speculation is flying around the Beltway, if not in middle America, about the impact on defense of a potential Democratic Congress. Government Executive’s Megan Scully reports that Democratic leaders would shy from dramatic cuts to war funding or “trim overall...

Air Sorties in the Global War on Terrorism

Oct. 27-29, 2006 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 40 32 72 CAS/Armed Recon 106 102 208 Airlift 440 440 Air refueling 95 95 Total 146 134 535 815 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance