February 1, 2007 | Air & Space Forces Magazine

More Ground Means More Air

From within and without the Pentagon, officials and analysts point to the need to increase airpower—strike and lift—in Iraq along with an increase in ground forces. Julian Barnes of the Los Angeles Times quotes “a senior Pentagon official” and others...

Afghanistan Sees Small Bomb

The Air Force has employed the Small Diameter Bomb for the first time in Afghanistan. An F-15E Strike Eagle deployed to Bagram Air Base from the 391st Fighter Squadron at Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, dropped the GPS-aided GBU-39B on a...

Avoiding a “Broken” Force:

Brig. Gen. Allison Hickey, director of Total Force Integration, told reporters at the Pentagon Wednesday that the Total Force Integration initiative list—some 140 items, will be released within the “next couple of weeks.” She said the list includes all of...

Behind the Intel Makeover

Lt. Gen. David Deptula, USAF’s intelligence leader, told reporters at the Pentagon that there were several factors driving the planned reorganization of the Air Force’s intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance apparatus, including a need to eliminate a costly “disjointed approach to ISR.” He wants...

A New Boss, a New Name

The Air Force’s intelligence structure makeover (see above) also includes shifting the Air Force Intelligence Agency and its subordinate units from Air Combat Command to the newly expanded A2. It will work directly for Lt. Gen. David Deptula, whose title...

Changed His Mind?

In testimony before the Commission on the National Guard and Reserves Wednesday regarding the National Defense Enhancement and National Guard Empowerment Act, Army Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, head of the National Guard Bureau, said in his experience, the Joint Chiefs...

Eliminate the “Gaps”

Army Lt. Gen. Steven Blum, NGB Chief, told a Congressional task force Wednesday (see above) that he believes the National Defense Enhancement and National Guard Empowerment Act of 2006 would address problems with the official structure of the Guard’s relationship...

Tanker Competition or No?

Northrop Grumman officials say they need more time to review the final tanker replacement program request for proposals issued by the Air Force yesterday before they can determine whether the Northrop-EADS KC-30 is in or out. However, Associated Press reports...

“Very Aggressive” Work

The B-1B bomber maintainers deployed to Southwest Asia from Ellsworth AFB, S.D., have managed to launch more than 350 combat sorties, achieving an overall 98.1 percent mission effectiveness rate. And, that’s not all. One of the 37th Bomb Squadron B-1s...