Senate Passes NDAA

The Senate on Tuesday approved the $612 billion Fiscal 2016 defense authorization bill with a vote of 70-26, sending the measure to President Obama for signature, reported Roll Call. Obama has vowed to veto the bill over $38 billion in...

Russian Fighter Diverts US Jet

A US aircraft had to divert from a planned route over Syria because it was coming close to a Russian fighter jet on its own mission, the Pentagon said Oct. 6. It was the first time a US jet had...

Syria, Afghanistan On NATO Agenda

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said he expects NATO defense ministers to address the situation in Syria, and troops levels in Afghanistan, when they meet this week in Brussels. “We will make decisions related to both the level of our...

A Watcher on High Opens its Eye

Air Force Space Command’s two “neighborhood watch” Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program (GSSAP) satellite constellations? attained initial operational capability in late September, AFSPC announced Oct. 7. The satellites, launched last July, will complement the low-earth orbit Space Based Space Surveillance...

Guardsmen Fight South Carolina Floods

More than 1,300 National Guardsmen in South Carolina continue to fight historic flooding from last weekend’s hurricane, which brought heavy rains and dam breaks, completing more than 2,500 aerial rescues and 25 total missions. Air National Guard Col. Rich Neely,...

Building Up Diyarbakir

The deployment of Air Force combat search and rescue units to assist with Operation Inherent Resolve in late September began with preparations starting more than a month in advance. Airmen from the 435th Contingency Response Group from Ramstein AB, Germany,...

Norwegian Lightning Aloft

The first F-35A Lightning II for the Royal Norwegian Air Force lifted off on its maiden check flight from Lockheed Martin’s facility at Fort Worth, Texas, on Tuesday, the company announced. The RNoAF accepted aircraft AM-2 in a roll-out ceremony...

Spanish Air Force Requests MQ-9 Reapers

The Pentagon notified Congress of a possible $243 million sale of four MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, ground control stations, sensors, and spares to the Spanish air force, officials announced Oct. 6. The sale “improves Spain’s ability to meet current...