So writes Lexington Institute’s Loren Thompson Monday of the Air Force’s KC-X tanker decision on Feb. 29. He claims Northrop Grumman’s winning KC-30 aircraft, which beat out Boeing’s KC-767, “was deemed much better in virtually all regards,” making it “not...

For the first time ever, airmen who operate and maintain the Air Force’s MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicles at Creech AFB, Nev., launched the aircraft Feb. 28 without need of support from prime contractor General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. Creech...

With the arrival of 22 F-16 Block 40 fighters in January as part of an aircraft swap with Eielson, AFB, Alaska, the 80th Fighter Squadron at Kunsan AB, South Korea, got more than just the aircraft. It also received a...

The Air Force’s RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle, built by Northrop Grumman, celebrated its 10th anniversary of flight Feb. 28. On that date in 1998 a Global Hawk prototype made history when it flew for one hour over Edwards...

China’s ability to sustain military power at a distance remains limited and its near-term focus remains on preparing for contingencies in the Taiwan Strait, including the possibility of US intervention, the Defense Department writes in its annual report to Congress...

US Central Command Air Forces, known in Pentagon parlance by its acronym CENTAF, formally changed its name March 1 to US Air Forces Central, or “AFCENT.” The redesignation is part of the command’s activities to implement a Chief of Staff...

There is a “back shop” in Southwest Asia that provides the essential repair of the Air Force’s vital aerial refueling force on the spot, working a “non-stop mission,” says TSgt. Jon Shumard, deployed to the 379th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron from...

A $14.5 million contract awarded to Afghanistan Construction Companies Umbrella has generated, within six months, the first of 14 new relocatable dorms, which USAF and Afghanistan officials formally dedicated last week. The “Texan Hall” dorm will house more than 100...

Feb. 29-March 1, 2008 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 47 16 63 1,548 CAS/Armed Recon 108 86 194 4,787 Airlift 319 319 7,142 Air refueling 89 89 2,264 Total 665 15,741 OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom...