The US has agreed to provide satellite imagery to China to assist in that nation’s assessments of damage to key infrastructure in its earthquake-stricken Sichuan province, DOD announced May 19. China specifically requested imagery of dams, reservoirs, roads, and bridges,...

The Air Force is preparing to publish a request for information to industry regarding a new platform to replace many of its intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft, Gen. Michael Moseley said in an interview May 12. “We’re looking to release...

The Air Force is proceeding with plans to meld the aircraft maintenance units that support bomber, fighter, and rescue aircraft into the flying squadrons that they support. Gen. Michael Moseley, Chief of Staff, approved the changes May 12 when he signed the global wing structure action directive. “The purpose of the reorganization, very simply, is to enhance our warfighting capability,” Maj. Gen. Robert McMahon, director of maintenance on the Air Staff, told reporters May 19 at the Pentagon. “The flying squadron is the cornerstone of airpower employment and must contain the key mission functions in order to deliver combat effects.” The changes will give the flight operations group and the squadron commanders the authority and the responsibility for ensuring that the units are ready for combat and also allow them to train on a daily basis the same way that they intend to fight, he said. Under the changes USAF is creating the position of deputy operations group commander for maintenance with an authorized grade of lieutenant colonel. Further, each squadron will have a maintenance operations officer with an authorized grade of major. Also, the former maintenance groups will be redesignated as materiel groups and charged with logistics readiness and sustaining the combat wings. The changes will take effect starting July 1, and the transition should be complete by the end of November. Air Force Reserve Command has opted in to the new structure, but the Air National Guard plans to evaluate them first on a trial bases in five wings, McMahon said. Further, USAF is about five months into a study to determine whether it makes sense to adopt the same changes or some variant for its mobility and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance units, McMahon said. Decisions in that regard likely will come in about a year or so.

A test team made up of Air Force, Navy, and industry officials conducted the first live drops of a GPS-guided weapon from the MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle May 13 at the Navy test range at China Lake, Calif. On...

Boeing announced May 19 that it has begun firing the advanced tactical laser that has been integrated onto its host C-130 platform in ground tests. The first successful firing of the high-energy chemical laser occurred May 13 at Kirtland AFB,...

Senior California lawmakers, ranging from Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) to Sen. Diane Feinstein (D) are pressing the Bush Administration to keep the promise to deliver two California Air National Guard C-130s modified for firefighting in time for this year’s wildfire...

The Air National Guard-led 1st Air Force/Air Forces Northern flew twice as many fighter sorties last month for Operation Noble Eagle coverage of the continental US as it had flown during March. Bolstering the fighters were a total of 14...

The Air Force has awarded the United Launch Alliance the contract for the launch of the second space based infrared systems early warning satellite early next decade, the industry consortium announced May 15. The service has notionally planned launch of the satellite, designated GEO-2, aboard an Atlas V between December 2010 and March 2011 from Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla. “United Launch Alliance is proud to continue our vital role in providing the latest technology for the warfighter with this second SBIRS GEO space vehicle launch,” said James Sponnick, ULA VP of Atlas programs. GEO-1, the first SBIRS satellite, is entering environmental testing in preparation for a late 2009 launch.

An MQ-9A Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle took out enemy combatants with a Hellfire missile May 18 in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Air Forces Central announced May 19. These combatants were engaging friendly forces with rocket-propelled grenades. Also on that day, A B-1B...

Raytheon expects to demonstrate new target-recognition technology developed under Air Force Research Lab sponsorship this fall in the laboratory, leading to a flight evaluation next spring aboard a Raytheon test aircraft, the company said in a May 14 release. The...

Air Sorties in War on Terrorism, Southwest AsiaMay 17, 2008 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 22 12 34 4,006 CAS/Armed Recon 51 47 98 12,059 Airlift 150 150 17,509 Air refueling 46 46 5,612 Total 328 39,186...