The newly stationed F-22 force at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, chalked up an operational first last month—scrambling to intercept and monitor two Russian Bear-H bombers on Nov. 22. Air Force magazine learned Dec. 14 that the Alaskan NORAD Region launched F-22s...

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell would not take the bait yesterday as reporters questioned whether the now-extended grounding of the F-15 fleet would prompt senior DOD leaders to support continued F-22 production. He reminded them that “as a rule” Pentagon officials...

The just completed conference report on the 2008 defense policy bill does not grant USAF the option to manage its own fleet of aircraft. The House conferees gave in to Senate counterparts in sustaining the restriction on retiring the A...

Congressional authorizers want DOD to conduct a new “requirements-based study” to consider the appropriate size and mix of fixed-wing intertheater and intratheater airlift assets. This is a product of the 2008 defense policy bill conference report, merging the Senate desire...

The North Dakota Congressional delegation doesn’t intend to let up in its drive to secure some of the Air Force’s new tanker aircraft, meeting again this week with key Air Force leaders. Sen. Kent Conrad (D) said the meetings “confirmed...

A growing cadre of lawmakers want the Air Force to be more diligent in its selection of contractors to handle housing privatization issues. Leading the charge are Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) and Sen. Mark Pryor (D-Ark.), both of whose states...

Now that consecutive protests forced the Air Force to delay—probably until summer—the final decision on the combat search and rescue replacement helicopter program, the 2008 defense spending bill, which President Bush signed into law last month, took nearly $186 million...

Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) got a nod on his legislation to enhance safety measures at Warren Grove Gunnery Range, where an Air National Guard F-16 inadvertently kicked off a costly fire last spring, among other incidents. It’s included in the...

Dec. 11, 2007 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total ISR 20 8 28 CAS/Armed Recon 60 42 102 Airlift 125 125 Air refueling 42 42 Total 80 50 167 297 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance Airlift includes Horn...