Northrop Grumman Expands Plant 42 as B-21 Continues Development
AMC Finishes Most C-130 Wing Joint Checks
Gilday Outlines Top Priorities as New CNO
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RADAR SWEEP
Space Command’s Initial Home Will Be in Colorado Springs, Congressman Says
A Colorado congressman says the initial headquarters for the Pentagon’s new Space Command will be in his home state. Republican US Rep. Doug Lamborn said Aug. 21 the command will officially start operations at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colo., in September. Associated Press via The Colorado Sun
Second GPS III Launch Validates (at Long Last) Program Progress
The Aug. 22 launch of the second Air Force GPS III satellite, called Magellan, represents welcome validation for prime contractor Lockheed Martin and ground-based control system provider Raytheon after years of delays and cost overruns—proving that the high-priority, but long troubled, GPS III program is now moving ahead relatively smoothly. Breaking Defense
RC-135 Training “Bottlenecks” After Flooding Destroys Simulators
The recent flooding at Offutt AFB, Neb., has slowed down mission crew training on the RC-135 intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft, leading the Air Force to send airmen as far away as the United Kingdom to train, according to a top general. Gen. Mike Holmes, head of Air Combat Command, said Aug. 20 that the loss of the aircraft simulator complex at Offutt due to flooding has caused a "problem" for the RC-135 force. Military.com
Putin Pledges Russian Response to US Cruise Missile Test
Russia pledged a response to an Aug. 18 test of a US ground-based cruise missile the Pentagon conducted two weeks after the expiration of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty in early August. Russian President Vladimir Putin said, following a Helsinki meeting with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto, the speed with which the US tested a modified Tomahawk Land Attack Missile indicated the Defense Department had been working on the system long before the US declared it would withdraw from the INF treaty. USNI News
US Says It’s Ready to Resume Nuclear Talks with North Korea
The United States is ready to restart nuclear negotiations with North Korea, a senior US diplomat said Aug. 21, a day after US and South Korean militaries ended their regular drills that North Korea calls an invasion rehearsal. Associated Press via Yahoo! News
Wright-Patt Tops 30K Employees for First Time in 30 years
The increase in employment is the result of the base having better “local hiring authority” from the Air Force to fill new positions and vacancies that remained from a hiring freeze, said Col. Tom Sherman, 88th Air Base Wing and installation commander. Dayton Daily News
Eglin Captain Dies Shortly after PT Test
An Air Force officer at Eglin AFB, Fla., died early on the morning of Aug. 17 from health complications following an Aug. 16 fitness test. Air Force Times
She Recorded Her Rapist’s Confession. Now, the Supreme Court Could Hear It.
The Justice Department has asked the Supreme Court to review and reverse a top military appeals court’s view that older rape convictions can be vacated because a five-year statute of limitations on rape existed before 2006, according to CNN. It has prevented at least 10 new cases from being heard, the Justice Department says. CNN
Pentagon Aims to Sync Counter-Drone Efforts
Concerned about the threat posed by unmanned aerial systems, the Defense Department is taking steps to synchronize its counter-drone initiatives, according to a department official. National Defense Magazine
DOD Identifies Army Casualties
The Defense Department on Aug. 22 announced the deaths of two soldiers who were supporting Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. Both soldiers died Aug. 21 in Faryab Province, Afghanistan, as a result of wounds sustained from small arms fire while engaged in combat operations. DOD release
One More Thing
Video: 1980 Air Force F-16 Fighter Jet Listed for Sale Online in Florida
Jet Lease, a Palm Beach, Fla.-based aircraft leasing and purchasing company, is offering the jet at an $8.5 million price tag. One of the most sought-after fighter jets, the US Air Force sometimes sells older F-16s as it upgrades its inventory. Fox News