The US Air Force stopped flying the F-111 nearly 15 years ago, while the Royal Australian Air Force has continued flying its F-111s and expected to do so until the end of this year. However, according to media reports, the RAAF has just temporarily grounded its fleet following a problem encountered during an appearance at the Singapore air show last week. The engine on one fighter caught fire in mid-air Feb. 4, but the pilot made an emergency landing without incident. (Some RAAF F-111s made a US appearance in 2006, flying in Red Flag.) (See The Australian report; ABC News in Australia report)
A new report from the Government Accountability Office calls for the Pentagon’s Chief Technology Officer to have budget certification authority over the military services’ research and development accounts—a move the services say would add a burdensome and unnecessary layer of bureaucracy.
