It’s a New Day, Almost: The 2008 Air Force budget, released Monday, was the product of 2.2 million man-hours of anguished deliberation that has all flown out the window with President Bush’s announcement that he plans to add 92,000 more...

During budget briefs, senior Air Force officials said the Air Force will need an extra $20 billion a year for recapitalizing worn-out gear, but on Thursday at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla., Secretary Michael Wynne told reporters, “It’s...

Gen. Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff, noted in his presentation Thursday at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium at Orlando that the Air Force has seen significant aircraft losses since 9/11, losing a total of 83 manned aircraft—18 of them in combat,...

The service is looking forward, however, and wants to replace its three combat-loss fighters with F-35 Lightnings, not F-15s or F-16s. Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley and Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne explained in a briefing with reporters Thursday...

The F-22 Raptor Team has been selected as the recipient of the National Aeronautic Association’s 2006 Collier Trophy, the most prestigious award in aviation. Although the F-22 has long been in development and its capabilities well known, its performance in...

Asked about various things in the new aerial refueling aircraft program request for proposals that may not directly pertain to tanking—such as using the aircraft as communications or data relay nodes—Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne told reporters Thursday afternoon that...

Gen. Paul Hester, commander of Pacific Air Forces, told attendees Thursday afternoon at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium that focusing on the Pacific is important because of the high rate of conflict there and the fact that 60 percent of the...

Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Paul Hester said Thursday in Orlando that he has been “getting out a lot” to tell the Air Force story to the nation’s international partners. In India recently, Hester said he met with the air...

Gen. Paul Hester, Pacific Air Forces commander, said Thursday afternoon at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla., that he has not stepped up the operating tempo of forces around Korea since Pyongyang detonated a small A-bomb last fall. The...

Gen. James Cartwright, commander of U.S. Strategic Command, said Thursday at AFA’s Symposium in Orlando, Fla. that accessing data, discovering it, getting it to those who need it and ridding ourselves of the “ownership idea” is crucial. He went on:...

Air Force Secretary Michael Wynne acknowledged Thursday afternoon that the Air Force’s planned drawdown of 40,000 personnel must factor in the debate over the plan to surge ground forces in Iraq, the overall drawdown of forces in Iraq, and the...

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Michael Moseley, fresh off a trip to Southwest Asia, told attendees Thursday afternoon at AFA’s Orlando symposium that he met a host of airmen that have deployed upwards of five times. When he talked...

Northrop Grumman has decided to stay the course for the Air Force’s KC-X tanker replacement program. In a statement issued Thursday, Northrop’s Scott Seymour, president of the Integrated Systems sector, said: After carefully studying the final language in the Air...

Boeing officials at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium Thursday, meanwhile, said to watch for an announcement Monday on their preferred solution for the KC-X competition. They’re giving nothing away prematurely; Boeing’s displays at AFA’s symposium Thursday features both the KC-767 and...

Lawmakers prodded Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Peter Pace during the House Armed Services Committee budget hearing Feb. 7 to review the bidding on the Pentagon decision not to purchase any more new C-17 strategic airlifters....

Boeing is coming to the conclusion that the next long-range strike system likely will be a highly stealthy, subsonic platform partnered with a high-speed missile, according to George Muellner, the company’s Advanced Systems president. Briefing reporters Thursday at AFA’s Air...

Boeing happens to be working on two hypersonic missile projects that could be adapted to arm a next-generation bomber, noted George Muellner, Boeing’s Advanced Systems president. One is the HyFly, a Navy/DARPA scramjet-powered missile project which will fly in about...

The B-2 was designed to be stealthy against long-range early warning radars, while the F-117 and F-22 were designed to survive against shorter range search radars and missiles, Boeing Advanced Systems President George Muellner explained Thursday at AFA’s symposium in...

Defense Secretary Robert Gates told the House Armed Services Committee Feb. 7 that he “has a problem” with elevating the National Guard Bureau chief to a seat on the Joint Chiefs of Staff because of “unity of command issues.” He...

In two separate operations in Iraq, ground forces called in close air support aircraft, which used precision guided munitions to strike targets near Arab Jabour on Wednesday and Amiriyah on Thursday. Seven enemy fighters in a group believed responsible for...

Lockheed Martin noted Thursday at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando, Fla., that the early fielding of the Distributed Common Ground System Integration Backbone—the DIB—has enabled users to access data in real-time across three previously autonomous intelligence databases at Langley...

The full Senate after floor debate Thursday confirmed Gen. George Casey Jr. as the next Army Chief of Staff. His nomination riled several lawmakers, making it out of the Senate Armed Services Committee but, unlike the relatively easy pass through...

Northrop Grumman says its LITENING precision targeting and sensor systems currently in use with US and allied forces have surpassed 600,000 operational hours. USAF has deployed the system on A-10, B-52, F-15E, and F-16 aircraft. In its statement, Northrop also...

Feb. 7, 2007 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 10 11 21 CAS/Armed Recon 50 37 87 Airlift 160 160 Air refueling 31 31 Total 60 48 191 299 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance