Gates Fires F-35 Manager

Gates Fires F-35 Manager: Defense Secretary Bob Gates has fired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. David Heinz, who has led the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program office since April 2009. The Pentagon boss announced the ouster of Heinz during the Feb. 1 defense budget roll out, saying only that he would be replaced be a three-star general officer. In the interim, F-35 deputy program executive officer, Air Force Maj. Gen. C.D. Moore has the lead. Last summer, Heinz reportedly angered Gates over critical remarks Heinz made about the primary F-35 engine, Pratt & Whitney's F135. Since then, DOD officials have acknowledged major problems with the F-35 program, prompting the need to redirect funds to bolster development and testing and a slowdown in early production plans.

Russian Raptor

By John A. Tirpak
Russia’s PAK FA fighter prototype, billed as a strong competitor to the US F-22 and F-35 fifth-generation fighters, made its first flight Friday. The Sukhoi-built fighter flew for 47 minutes, raising and lowering its landing gear. According to video of...

Fifth Generation?

A look at the PAK FA fighter, which took its maiden flight Jan. 29, reveals both cutting-edge technology and some compromises. The aircraft employs composite structure in the forward quarter, but its round, thrust-vectoring exhaust nozzles are not stealthy, although...

Meet Your Air Force, in Rough Form

The 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review is set for release Monday. But a draft iteration circulating inside the Washington, D.C., beltway last week shed some light on what to expect, such as Air Force plans to field a force structure of...

The Rest of the Independent QDR Panel

The Rest of the Independent QDR Panel: The Pentagon announced Friday the full membership of the independent Quadrennial Defense Review panel mandated by Congress. Defense Secretary Bob Gates has selected 12 members, while Congress appointed eight more. (The House Armed...

AFSPC Bases in Encroachment Demo

The Air Force has tasked Air Force Space Command to launch a service-wide encroachment management initiative, using two AFSPC bases—Buckley in Colorado and Patrick in Florida—as the first demonstration facilities. During the demo, the bases will identify, communicate, manage, and...

Engaging at Red Flag

The latest iteration of Red Flag-Nellis started Jan. 25 at Nellis AFB, Nev., where some 1,300 military members and more than 80 aircraft will match their skills through Feb. 5. The participants include USAF F-22s, F-15Cs, F-15Es, F-16s, E-3 AWACS,...

Active F-15E Pilot Hits 4K

Lt. Col. Dave Iverson has the distinction currently to be the only active duty USAF pilot to reach more than 4,000 flying hours in the F-15E Strike Eagle, according to a 48h Fighter Wing report on Jan. 27 from Nevada,...

AFAFRICA Expands Its Capability

: Air Forces Africa (also 17th Air Force) earlier this month took over responsibility for US military missions in African airspace from Air Forces Central, a component of US Central Command. Seventeenth AF activated the 617th Air and Space Operations...

Tuskegee Airman Archer Dies

Retired Lt. Col. Lee A. Archer, one of the World War II famed Tuskegee Airmen died Jan. 27 at a New York medical center, reports Associated Press (via the New York Times). He was 90. Fellow Tuskegee Airman Roscoe Brown...

Air Sorties from SWA 020110

Air Sorties in Southwest Asia, Jan. 26, 2010 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 33 7 40 1,487 CAS/Armed Recon 12 54 66 2,373 Airlift 152 152 4,084 Air refueling 37 37 1,110 Total 295 9,054 OIF=Operation Iraqi...