December 16, 1948

December 16, 1948

Dec. 16, 1948

Company pilot Charles Tucker makes the first flight of the Northrop X-4 Bantam at Muroc AFB, Calif. The X-4 is designed to study flight characteristics of small, swept-wing semitailless aircraft at transonic speeds.

New Leader Takes Over Air Force Recruiting as Challenges Persist

June 7, 2023

Brig. Gen. Christopher R. Amrhein—an experienced tanker and trainer pilot who helped oversee the Air Force’s flying training enterprise—took command of the Air Force Recruiting Service on June 2. Amrhein succeeds Maj. Gen. Ed Thomas, who led AFRS starting June 2020 through a tumultuous time in recruiting. Between the COVID-19 pandemic,…

With New Responsibilities, TRANSCOM Wargames How to Support Air Force in Pacific

June 6, 2023

Gas is king in the vast expanse of the Pacific. And as the Pentagon has sought to build up its capability to deter China, the Department of Defense has undergone a major rethink about how to get fuel to the region. At the heart of the effort is the U.S. Transportation…

Lockheed Pitches LMXT as ‘Mothership’ for Future Stealthy Tankers

June 6, 2023

Lockheed Martin is pitching its Airbus A330-based LMXT tanker as a “mothership” for the Air Force’s planned fleet of small, stealthy tankers—a rationale company officials hope will overcome the service’s reticence to open its so-called “bridge tanker” buy to competition.

Guard C-130s Start Landing in Germany for Historic Air Defender Exercise

June 6, 2023

C-130 transports from Air National Guard Units across the country arrived in Germany for the start of the largest air force deployment exercise in NATO history.

Getting Promoted to Lieutenant Colonel Gets Harder for Operators

June 6, 2023

The percentage of “in-the-zone” Air Force majors promoted to lieutenant colonel dipped slightly in 2023 to its lowest point since the service instituted sweeping changes to its officer promotion system—while “above the zone” promotions continue to rise. Those changes aren’t uniform across the different career categories though.

Pentagon Awards $2 Billion Contract for New Lot of F-35 Engines

June 5, 2023

The Pentagon awarded a contract worth over $2 billion for the next batch of F-35 engines to Pratt & Whitney on June 5. The deal for Lot 17 F135 engines, totaling $2.02 billion, is expected to be completed by December 2025.

Why No Bomb Is a Dud When Air Force EOD Is Around

June 5, 2023

Cleaning trash off a training range may sound like a dull task—but not if the trash is highly explosive. Airmen with the 775th Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Flight deal with such trash on a regular basis at the Utah Test and Training Range (UTTR), an area about the size of…

Air Force Bumps Annual Retention Bonus for Aviators Up To $50K

June 5, 2023

The Air Force is bumping up bonuses in its quest to retain pilots, the service announced June 5. Aviators—including pilots, air battle managers, and combat systems officers—can now receive up to $50,000 annually for agreeing to stay on in fiscal year 2023, a significant increase from the cap of $35,000…

In First, B-1 Bombers Join Largest Nordic Air Exercise

June 5, 2023

A pair of B-1 bombers flew over the North Sea on June 5, joining in on an expansive aerial exercise taking place in the Nordic region. As part of Arctic Challenge Exercise 2023, the B-1s from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas, flew above the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier and integrated…

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