KC-46A First Flight
Boeing flew the first all-up KC-46A Pegasus aerial tanker Sept. 25. The jet took off from Paine Field, Everett, Wash., at 1:24 p.m. local time on what was expected to be about a four-hour checkout flight ending at Boeing Field...
Dunford Takes Over Chairman of the Joint Chiefs
Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford took over as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a Friday ceremony, where the ?outgoing Chairman, Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, retired after 41 years of service. Dunford is “the kind of officer marines...
B-1 Transitions to Global Strike
The 7th Bomb Wing at Dyess AFB, Texas, and the 28th BW at Ellsworth AFB, S.D., will hold realignment ceremonies on Monday, marking the transition of the B-1 fleet from Air Combat Command to Air Force Global Strike Command. The...
The Global Bomber Presence
The nuclear-capable B-52 Stratofortress and B-2 Spirit “will continue to be the forces provided” to US Strategic Command, but officials are still trying to determine how the conventional-only B-1 will fit into the mix after it transitions to Air Force...
DOD Preparing for Possible Government Shutdown
The Defense Department today issued guidance for employees if Congress does not pass a continuing resolution before midnight on Sept. 30, notifying some civilian employees that they will be furloughed. All Active Duty military personnel and civilians deemed necessary will...
Russia Begins Surveillance Flights Over Syria
Russia has been flying intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance flights over Syria since the country began deploying troops and equipment in territory friendly to Syrian President Bashar al Assad, US Central Command officials said Friday. The command has tracked Russian ISR...
CENTCOM: Iraq Must Move Quickly to Retake Ramadi
Iraqi forces need to take action to retake the ISIS-controlled city of Ramadi as soon as possible to prevent resupply and fortification by the terrorist group, US Central Command said Friday. Iraq has enough troops and equipment near the city...
NATO Hands Off Control of Afghan Airspace
Afghanistan on Sept. 22 took control of its own airspace after 13 years of NATO support, the alliance announced. Turkish Maj. Gen. Cahit Bakir, Resolute Support commander for Kabul International Airport, praised the occasion as a “historical milestone for Afghanistan.”...
“Should-Schedule” Test Cases
In exploring its new “should schedule” approach to speeding up the time it takes to acquire new systems, the Air Force will make a test case of four programs, Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch, military deputy to USAF acquisition chief William...
Goodbye Bad Omen
The first operational AC-13U Spooky gunship to retire left the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field, Fla., for storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., Sept. 21, officials announced. Air Force Special Operations Command originally planned to retire a total of...
Back To the Deep Freeze
C-17s from JB Lewis-McChord, Wash., and ski-equipped Air National Guard LC-130s from Stratton ANGB, N.Y., are staging at Christchurch, New Zealand, to kick-off Operation Deep Freeze in Antarctica. C-17s have been conducting night-vision enabled winter resupply flights to McMurdo Station...
Boehner to Step Down
Speaker of the House Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) will retire from Congress at the end of October. Boehner announced the move to his fellow Republicans early Friday morning, then followed that announcement with a press conference Friday afternoon. Boehner told...