Air Combat Command officially announced on Nov. 21 that Minot AFB, N.D., is the Air Force’s “preferred location” to house a fourth B-52 bomber squadron. First, though, the service must complete the required environmental assessment. The North Dakota Congressional delegation...

Recently some of the soldiers supported by airmen in Afghanistan got a chance to see A-10 and F-15E fighters up close and personal and talk with the airmen who fly them in close air support roles. The praise was profuse....

The most recent deployment to Southwest Asia operations for the 960th Expeditionary Airborne Control Squadron from Tinker AFB, Okla., was remarkable for its accomplishments, including achieving a 100 percent operational rate with the Internet relay chat system employed now as...

The Ogden Air Logistics Center in Utah has completed upgrades to the last two Block 52 F-16s, turning them over to the Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team on Nov. 17. The Thunderbirds now have a complete set of 10 modified Block...

Although it’s been about six years since the infamous Darleen Druyun was the No. 2 in the Air Force’s acquisition shop, “lingering elements” of her top-heavy leadership style remain today in the Air Force’s acquisition culture and need to be...

The Boeing Company said Nov. 19 that it must cut some 800 employees at its Integrated Defense Systems facility in Wichita, Kan., in 2009, partly because of the delay in the Air Force’s KC-X tanker replacement program. Defense Secretary Robert...

Speaking Nov. 18 at an Air Force-industry event at Tinker AFB, Okla., Air Force acquisition chief Sue Payton talked about the desire for “good communication” and the need for the linkage between the service and the industrial base to be...

US airmen serving a tour in NATO’s Baltic air policing mission are on 24-hour alert in Siauliai, Lithuania, where they must be airborne in their F-15 Eagles within minutes of a siren alert. Airmen of the 493rd Expeditionary Fighter Squadron...

SSgt. Michael Baker, in the first two months of a four-month deployment to Bagram Air Field, Afghanistan, has broken three fuels records. Deployed from Minot AFB, N.D., Baker said of his feat, “It helps the days go quicker if I...

Northrop Grumman said Nov. 18 it has successfully conducted a demonstration flight, as scheduled, of its new Scalable Agile Beam Radar sensor, which the company is developing at its own expense for the current F-16 fleet, and officials say it’s...

Air Sorties in War on Terrorism, Southwest AsiaNov. 18, 2008 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 29 15 44 11,856 CAS/Armed Recon 42 55 97 33,157 Airlift 140 140 41,980 Air refueling 42 42 16,229 Total 323 103,222...