After nine years of trying, the Air Force finally has an all-weather, accurate means to perform final electronic acceptance tests of the radomes on E-3 AWACS, KC-135, and Navy E-6 TACAMO aircraft. In 1999, construction began of a compact radome range in Building 3707 at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center on the grounds of Tinker AFB, Okla. Although finished in 2000, the range suffered from a mechanical fault that prevented it from going operational. After years of dealing with industrial and academia experts to resolve the issue, USAF engineers and technicians led by the 76th Commodities Maintenance Group Process Control Improvement Division finally repaired the fault. Tinker officials held a ribbon-cutting ceremony April 23, signifying the range going operational. The center also intends to use the compact range for testing B-52 radomes, but that hasn’t been approved yet. (Tinker report by Brandice J. Armstrong)
US Space Command Should Always Be Led by a Guardian
Sept. 12, 2026
General Stephen Whiting took command of U.S. Space Command in January 2024, and if customary three-year tenures hold, his tour would end in January 2027. The question now before the President and Senate is who should follow him? Whoever they choose, it has to be a Guardian—and so should every successor…
