Without fanfare, President Obama has signed into law the Fiscal 2010 defense appropriations bill, completing the defense budget process for this fiscal year. He signed the defense policy bill into law back in October. Obama’s signature on the new spending...

The move to secure flying rights within US airspace for remotely piloted vehicles is squarely on the radar of Maj. Gen. Garry Dean, new boss at 1st Air Force/Air Forces North, who co-sponsored a conference on the effort earlier this...

Over the course of late summer and fall, Congress appeared to cool to the idea of forcing the Pentagon to award two KC-X tanker contracts—the so-called split-buy approach—in the face of continued Pentagon resistance to the notion. Now, however, the...

The contingent of six F-22 fighters and 150 airmen from the 1st Fighter Wing Langley AFB, Va., that deployed to the Middle East in November for training are now back home, Air Forces Central said in a release Monday. This...

The Fiscal 2010 defense appropriations act, newly signed into law by President Obama (see above), contains language originating from Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R-Ga.) that calls on the Air Force to keep executing its project to install new engines on E-8C Joint STARS ground-surveillance aircraft and to fund the effort properly. Earlier this year, there was speculation that the re-engining initiative might fall victim to other funding priorities, despite the fact that Air Force officials had deemed it essential to the viability of the Joint STARS fleet, one of the most heavily taxed and valued air assets in Southwest Asia for its ability to track moving ground targets. But Ash Carter, the Pentagon's acquisition executive, in September directed that the project continue. Still Chambliss' "sense of the Senate" calls for the $221 million in funds provided by the act for the project to be applied properly. (Language text)

On the way back from his most trip to Southwest Asia, Adm. Mike Mullen, Joint Chiefs Chairman, signed out his new Joint Guidance, which closely follows the guidance issued last year, except for the addition of South Central Asia to the "defending US interests" priority. The 2009-10 guidance focuses on three priorities: defending US interests in the Middle East and South Central Asia; maintaining the health of the US military force—people and systems; and balancing global strategic risk. Mullen acknowledged the deterioration in Afghanistan over the past year, but he wrote, "Reversing the Taliban's momentum is achievable." He emphasized "strengthening professional relationships with our regional counterparts" in the Middle East and South Central Asia as "essential to addressing our shared interests." He advocates "finding the right size, shape, and posture to globally detect, deter, and defeat current and future threats." (CJCS Guidance for 2008-2009; CJCS Guidance for 2009-2010)

Members of Air Force Reserve Command’s 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron at Keesler AFB, Miss., known for their exploits in flying their WC-130J aircraft into hurricanes during warm weather, on Dec. 18—the start of the major storm that blanketed much of...

Robert David, head of USAF’s Advanced Power Technology Office, says a recently installed solar panel at Robins AFB, Ga., is the first of its kind in the Southeast US. The panel, which is roughly the size of a drive-in movie...

Boeing has announced that the Royal Air Force will acquire a seventh C-17 transport aircraft under an agreement with the British Ministry of Defence. Boeing is scheduled to deliver this aircraft in December 2010. “The RAF has an urgent need...

Air Sorties in Southwest Asia, Dec. 17, 2009 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 22 33 55 16,738 CAS/Armed Recon 26 81 107 33,986 Airlift 12 12 47,544 Air refueling 41 41 16,596 Total 215 114,864 OIF=Operation Iraqi...