The Los Angeles Times reports that Defense Secretary Robert Gates “privately rebuked” Gen. Bruce Carlson for his widely reported remarks that the Air Force would find a way to purchase the number of F-22 Raptors it needs, rather than stopping...

With anticipation already growing within the Beltway, and outside of it, a senior Air Force official told lawmakers yesterday that the announcement of the winner in the multi-billion-dollar KC-X tanker recapitalization contest might indeed come in February. “It will be...

Changing the already approved strategy to crown a single winner in the KC-X tanker contest and pursue instead a split buy remains highly undesirable and the Air Force has no intention of doing it, a senior USAF official said yesterday...

Speaking for the dozen members of the bipartisan Senate Tanker Caucus, Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D), the caucus founder and co-chair, minced no words yesterday in calling on Boeing and Northrop Grumman/EADS to honor the Air Force’s forthcoming decision in the...

The Air Force will figure out a way to buy 380 F-22s to meet its requirements, the Air Force’s top weapons developer said Feb. 13, according to press reports. Gen. Bruce Carlson, commander of Air Force Materiel Command, said during...

The Air Force likely will divide up its grounded F-15 A-D Eagles into three categories in the near future, USAF acquisition official Lt. Gen. Donald Hoffman predicted Thursday, talking with reporters after a Capitol Hill symposium. Hoffman said he expects...

China has the anti-satellite capabilities today to wreak havoc with US on-orbit assets in a manner of only a few days, a senior intelligence official told the House Armed Services Committee on Feb. 13. “Having demonstrated the capability … given...

The Pentagon has chosen to proceed with plans to shoot down an “uncontrollable” classified US intelligence satellite that is reentering Earth’s atmosphere at the end of the month, using an element of the ballistic missile defense network, senior officials confirmed...

Dedicated crew chief SSgt. Benjamin Norton and assistant crew chief A1C Jason Edwards earlier this week delivered a B-52 bomber with “no known discrepancies,” a very rare occurrence for an aircraft of its vintage—about 48 years old. Col. Steven Shinkle,...

Included in Air Force’s list of unfunded requirements in Fiscal 2009 are requests for one C-37B and one C-40 VIP transport aircraft that would be assigned to US Africa Command. The two aircraft, at approximately $82 million and $151.2 million...

The Air Force’s first stealth fighter, the F-117 Nighthawk, has entered its twilight time for real—the last phase inspection has begun. Airmen at Holloman AFB, N.M. are conducting the last complete maintenance check before the aircraft retire later this year....

Calling him an “ordinary airman” who stepped up “to make a difference,” Lt. Gen. Norman Seip, 12th Air Force boss, presented the Airman’s Medal last week to Maj. Trace Steyaert at Ellsworth AFB, S.D. On June 10, 2007, Steyaert had...

The Air Force has awarded Bronze Star medals to officers at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyo., and Hickam AFB, Hawaii for their actions while deployed to support the war on terror. Capt. Brian Filler deployed from the 90th Security Forces Group...

USAF maintainers who tackle the lengthy periodic inspections on KC-135 tankers may save up to 147 hours per aircraft using a new standardized inspection process that has been declared ready for export to any tanker base, following a trial at...

Feb. 13, 2008 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 25 10 35 1,117 CAS/Armed Recon 66 42 108 3,509 Airlift 135 135 5,101 Air refueling 40 40 1,642 Total 318 11,369 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance...