Pentagon acquisition czar John Young said July 10 the revised request for proposals for the KC-X tanker will do a better job of mirroring the requirements that were established for the platform. And the updated solicitation will also more clearly...

The Government Accountability Office found no reason to think that anyone in the Air Force intentionally broke the law in awarding the KC-X contract to Northrop Grumman during its review of the process, which resulted in a recommendation to reopen...

After one month of anticipation, President Bush yesterday formally nominated Gen. Norton Schwartz to be the next Air Force Chief of Staff, the Pentagon announced. Defense Secretary Robert Gates recommended Schwartz, currently head of US Transportation Command, to the White...

Thursday afternoon’s hearing of the House Armed Services airland subcommittee on the KC-X tanker program started with testimony by the Government Accountability Office and didn’t pick up with John Young, the Pentagon’s acquisition czar, until after 5:30 p.m. Air Force...

Rep. Norm Dicks (D-Wash.), staunch Boeing proponent in the heated KC-X tanker debate on Capital Hill, says the Defense Department will “favor a larger sized aircraft” in the revised solicitation that DOD plans to issue later this month or in...

Yesterday, the White House sent to Capitol Hill the nomination of Gen. Duncan McNabb to replace Gen. Norton Schwartz at the helm of US Transportation Command (see above). McNabb is the current Air Force vice chief of staff. We’re still...

Acting Air Force Secretary Michael Donley said July 9 he is engaging Sue Payton, USAF’s acquisition executive, and her acquisition team to ensure that the Government Accountability Office’s findings in its ruling on Boeing’s successful legal protest of the KC-X...

An Air Force Special Operations Command PC-12 light transport aircraft crashed July 8 on the runway at Hurlburt Field, Fla., during a routine training mission. “Initial reports show the aircraft encountered wake turbulence shortly before the accident,” the command said...

An MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aerial vehicle dropped 500-pound laser-guided bombs on enemy combatants near Kandahar, Afghanistan, on July 9, Air Forces Central said in a release yesterday. This attack was one of the 71 close air support missions flown by...

More than 200 airmen and soldiers on July 6 dedicated a dining facility at Bagram AB, Afghanistan, to the memory of SrA. Jonathan Yelner, who was killed in action April 29 while on a combat patrol near the base. Now...

Iran’s test of a new, longer-range ballistic missile on Wednesday as part of a series of ballistic missile tests on that day should be a clear sign to Russia that there is “reason to be worried” about Iran, Defense Secretary...

A recently updated Air Force study examining the viability of the airframes of the E-8C Joint STARS ground surveillance aircraft indicates that the E-8C fleet could stay in service beyond 2070, Northrop Grumman, lead contractor for the platform, announced July...

MSgt. Jeffrey Gray of the 328th Airlift Squadron at Niagara Falls ARS, N.Y., has been named the Air Force’s First Sergeant of the Year for 2008, Air Force Reserve Command announced July 9. He is reportedly the first Reservist chosen...

Air Sorties in War on Terrorism, Southwest AsiaJuly 8, 2008 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 24 18 42 5,843 CAS/Armed Recon 27 74 101 17,251 Airlift 137 137 23,888 Air refueling 52 52 8,208 Total 332 55,190...