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  • Unmanned aircraft capabilities expanding in war on terrorism

    Once used only for remote reconnaissance, unmanned aircraft technology has rapidly evolved in recent years. Such systems now feature strike capabilities and are being used for force-protection and signals-collection missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.Unmanned aerial systems "have helped reduce the

  • Unmanned aircraft crews strive to support warfighters

    As Pentagon officials look for ways to increase intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support for warfighters in Afghanistan, the Air Force's first unmanned aircraft systems wing already is on the case in its never-ending quest to provide more and better intelligence through the systems they

  • Unmanned aircraft gain starring role in terror war

    Unmanned aerial vehicles are earning star status in the war on terrorism. They are becoming the most-requested capability among combatant commanders in Southwest Asia and use has increased fourfold in that theater during the last year alone, said the deputy director of the Pentagon's UAV planning

  • Unmanned aircraft kills three insurgents

    An MQ-1B Predator unmanned aerial vehicle engaged three insurgents in the process of planting a homemade bomb along a road near Balad Air Base, Iraq, March 28 and launched an AGM-114 Hellfire missile against the group. The Predator monitored the three insurgents for about a half hour while they used

  • Unmanned aircraft maintenance partnership to increase production

    The Air Force Sustainment Center or AFSC and General Atomics reached a partnership agreement Nov. 9, for the maintenance of unmanned aircraft systems or UAS, including the Predator/Reaper and the Army's version, the "Gray Eagle." The an enterprise-level, public-private agreement, signed by Lt. Gen.

  • Unmanned aircraft take on increased importance

    The U.S. military's expanded overseas use of unmanned aircraft highlights the increased importance of such aerial platforms to current and future military operations, senior Air Force officers said here July 23. The Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight Plan announced July 23 will serve as a template for

  • Unmanned coalition aircraft crashes

    A U.S. Air Force MQ-1 Predator unmanned aerial vehicle crashed Feb. 23 approximately 60 miles northeast of Jalalabad, Afghanistan at approximately 1 p.m. local time. Initial indications are that the crash was due to mechanical failure. There is no indication the Predator was fired upon. The Predator

  • Unmanned drone crashes at Tyndall

    An unmanned QF-4 drone, assigned here to the 53rd Weapons Evaluation Group, crashed on the drone runway during take-off at 8:25 a.m., July 17, 2013. No personnel were injured during the incident.Base and local police officials have closed the highway near the crash site as a precautionary measure

  • Unmanned QF-4 crashes near Holloman

    An unmanned QF-4 Aerial Target assigned to the 82nd Aerial Target Squadron here, crashed Feb. 7. The crash site is located inside the White Sands National Monument, which was closed in advance of the test mission.

  • Unmanned vehicle provides reusable test capabilities in space

    The Air Force is working on a space vehicle that will allow government scientists to transport advanced technology into orbit, test its capability there, then bring it home to see how it fared in the harsh environment of space. The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle is similar to the space shuttle, except

  • Unpowered gliders resume flight

    The 94th Flying Training Squadron here resumed unpowered glider flights June 23.The flights were suspended in mid-May to “address glider operations guidance shortcomings, and leadership and cultural issues in the squadron,” said Brig. Gen. John Weida, the academy’s acting superintendent.Officer

  • Unprotected nevermore

    An Air Force security forces Phoenix Raven stands guard as a C-130 Hercules from the 320th Air Expeditionary Wing taxis at an austere landing zone in Afghanistan. Ravens are groups of specially trained security forces people who provide force protection for aircrews and resources that transit high

  • Unsafe choice kills two airmen

    People may think “it’s not going to happen to me.” But they need to think again. No one is immune; preventable vehicle crashes happen all the time, according to safety officials here. Automobile crashes do not mean just cuts, bruises and broken bones. They can mean permanent disfigurement or

  • Unusual sport calls fuels Airman to France

    Cycle polo? What in the world is cycle polo? That's a thing? These are questions Staff Sgt. Jonathan MacPherson, a 673rd Logistics Readiness Squadron Fuels Management Flight fuels service center controller, is accustomed to hearing.

  • 'Unwavering professionalism' encouraged in all servicemembers

    U.S. Forces in Japan's mission to keep peace and security in its area of responsibility is shouldered by each military member serving in the region, and USFJ leaders are encouraging all servicemembers to practice unwavering professionalism in everything they do. Unwavering professionalism is a

  • UOTT pushes boundaries of F-35 operational testing

    A team of engineers, analysts, and pilots are pushing the boundaries of F-35 combat aircraft operational testing. The United States Operational Test Team is partnered with Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center Detachment 6.

  • Up to 1,000 Guard members respond to Massachusetts tornadoes

    Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick ordered up to 1,000 National Guard members to support civilian authorities after tornadoes caused property damage and power outages across the state June 1.About 450 Soldiers and Airmen already were on duty June 2, Massachusetts National Guard officials said.Among

  • Upcoming energy fair spotlights energy-efficient technology

    San Antonio residents and visitors soon will have an opportunity to see the latest energy-saving technology, including some products that are being used to make Randolph Air Force Base and the rest of the Air Force more energy efficient.The second annual Randolph Energy Fair, which takes place Oct.

  • Upcoming show to display military land, sea, ground robots

    More than 6,000 experts from 30 countries will be gathering here Aug. 16-19 for this year's largest robot and unmanned systems show.Hosted by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, called AUVSI, Unmanned Systems North America 2011 will feature workshops, panels and

  • Upcoming summit shapes new sexual-assault policies

    Decisions made at a senior-leader summit are expected to have a sweeping effect on the Defense Department's sexual-assault prevention and response efforts, said the task force commander charged with turning the group's recommendations into DOD-wide policies.The Oct. 6 summit, made up of senior

  • Upcoming survey to assess post-op deployment health care

    A telephone survey of ill or injured servicemembers who have returned from operational deployment will begin May 1 to examine post-deployment health care experiences. This health care survey is being conducted in response to the Secretary of Defense's request to comprehensively assess the quality of

  • Upcoming VA forum to help build women veterans communities, networks

    Department of Veterans Affairs officials opened registration on July 8 for a women veterans forum that will address the quality of VA health care, the provision of benefits for women and ways for VA to continue improving access to the care and benefits for women veterans."The VA forum will bring

  • Update on cadet test cheating investigation

    Air Force Academy officials have indicated that some of the Cadet Sanctions Recommendation Panels for cadets who admitted cheating on a recent Fourth Class Knowledge Test are being conducted by the cadet honor executive committee this week. Furthermore, of the 36 cadets whose cases were forwarded

  • Update: Air Force BMT graduation and schedule

    The revised schedule will allow BMT to restructure and enhance social-distancing requirements across the training campus to ensure the safety and security not just for the trainees, but for the Military Training Instructors, other active-duty members, civilians and contractors that support the

  • Update: Officials identify Airmen killed in Lackland shooting

    The 502nd Air Base Wing and Joint Base San Antonio commander, Brig. Gen. Robert LaBrutta, confirmed the identities of the two Airmen killed in a workplace violence incident April 8 at the Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland Medina Annex, according to a news release.

  • UPDATE: Selfridge ANG Base selected as next location for KC-46A Pegasus

    The Department of the Air Force selected Selfridge Air National Guard Base, Michigan, as the preferred location to host the next KC-46A Pegasus pending the outcome of a planned environmental impact analysis in 2025.Twelve KC-46As are expected to replace the aging A-10C Thunderbolt IIs and KC-135

  • UPDATE: Spangdahlem A-10 crashes

    An Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II crashed about 3:57 p.m. local time April 1 north of the city of Wittlich, Germany. The aircraft was from Spangdahlem Air Base. At the time of the accident, it was on a routine local training mission. The pilot is at a local hospital and is reported to be in good

  • UPDATE: USAFE Airmen killed in shooting were from Ramstein, Lakenheath

    One of the Airmen killed in the shooting at Frankfurt International Airport March 2 was a vehicle operator stationed at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, while the other Airman killed was part of a security forces team stationed at Royal Air Force Lakenheath, England. The two injured Airmen are being

  • UPDATED - SECAF salutes Airmen during ceremony

    Beneath the spires of the Air Force Memorial erected under his watch, the secretary of the Air Force bid farewell to Airmen June 20, his last day as their senior civilian official. Secretary Michael W. Wynne addressed the crowd of Airmen, civilians and media in a ceremony at the memorial, speaking

  • Updated Professional Development Guide available online

    The latest version of the Air Force Professional Development Guide is now available online for all Airmen. The 500 page, 30.8 MB document is of particular interest to enlisted Airmen in the ranks of staff sergeant through senior master sergeant who want to begin studying for their next promotion

  • Updating education just clicks away for civilians

    Air Force civilian employees who wish to update education information in their civilian personnel records have a new, easier way to do so: through the "MyBiz" Web site. MyBiz is the self-service module in the Defense Civilian Personnel Data System. Instead of faxing their transcripts and waiting for

  • UPE Integration Team lead visits Wright-Patt

    Brig. Gen. Edward L. Vaughan, the new Air Force Unexplained Physiological Events Integration Team lead, visited Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Aug. 27 to tour the 711th Human Performance Wing’s Onboard Oxygen Generating System lab and learn how 711HPW is collaborating with Air Force Life Cycle

  • Upgrade advances A-10s search capability

    A-10C Thunderbolt IIs assigned to active duty fighter squadrons at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base are in the process of having new lightweight airborne recovery systems installed.The LARS V-12 is designed to allow A-10 pilots to communicate more effectively with individuals on the ground such as

  • Upgrade allows civilians to update awards online

    Civilian employees can now update their non-monetary awards through the self-service module in the Defense Civilian Personnel Data System using the "Awards and Bonuses" tab in "My Biz." The ability to update non-monetary awards, such as length of service recognition, exemplary civilian service award

  • Upgrade brings resume writer offline

    People will be unable to complete or update online resumes for Air Force civilian employment June 18 to 26 because of a computer system upgrade.New job vacancies will not be posted during this time, and deadlines for those already posted will be extended. People will not be able to volunteer for

  • Upgrade gives B-52 more teeth

    The B-52 Stratofortress is set to receive an upgrade that will significantly increase its weapons payload, officials said.

  • Upgrade halts service temporarily

    An upgrade to the Defense Civilian Personnel Data System will shut down its services July 18 to 31, according to Air Force Personnel Center officials here.The improvement, which affects the servicing of more than 130,000 Air Force civilian employees, will allow all Department of Defense civilians to

  • Upgrade makes electronic forms more user friendly

    Air Force officials recently rolled out a new software upgrade that makes it easier for Airmen to view and print electronic forms. Feedback from Airmen revealed problems with blank lines appearing on paper copies of electronic forms that were not visible on digital versions. "The issue was with the

  • Upgraded A-10s prove worth in Iraq

    A new version of the A-10 Thunderbolt II has been flying over Iraq providing close-air support for the ground troops from Al Asad Air Base for nearly two months. As part of the Precision Engagement Upgrade Program, the Maryland Air National Guard's 175th Wing has been converting it's A-10s from A to

  • Upgraded airborne firefighting system approved

    A long anticipated upgrade to the Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) that's used to battle the nation's wildfires was recently approved for operational use, months before the next fire season.MAFFS II was approved for use on the California Air National Guard's 146th Airlift Wing C-130J

  • Upgraded armored vehicles aid Moody's war training

    Warfighters preparing for combat deployments are now using the same highly armored combat vehicles during stateside training missions as they will use in theater. The 820th Security Forces Group recently received 18 Humvees outfitted with the safest and thickest armor modifications, known as Frag 5,

  • Upgraded AWACS platform tested at Northern Edge

    Calmly soaring at 30,000 feet in the midst of nearly 100 fighters, bombers and refueling tankers executing a battle scenario, an E-3G Sentry (AWACS) surveys every aircraft in a 300-mile radius, calling out commands, verifying target hits and sending aircraft back home safely.

  • Upgraded B-52 still on cutting edge

    The B-52 Stratofortress is continually modified with new technology making the 50-year-old airframe one of the Air Force's most effective long-range heavy bombers. Modified B-52 aircraft with modern technology are capable of delivering a full range of joint-developed weapons and will continue to be

  • Upgraded E-3 Sentry deploys to combat theater

    The first E-3G Sentry (AWACS) arrived in Southwest Asia Nov. 18, marking the deployment of the most comprehensive modification to the weapon system in its 38-year history. The Block 40/45 improved communications, computer processing power, threat tracking and other capabilities.

  • Upgraded F-16 rejoins 8th FW

    An upgraded F-16 Fighting Falcon returned to 8th Fighter Wing operations after AFLCMC’s Post Block Integration Team provided the aircraft with the first wave of 22 modifications designed to improve lethality to meet the needs of current and future operations.

  • Upgraded KC-135 Stratotankers integral to joint force

    The Air Force's KC-135 Stratotanker fleet celebrates 50 years this month of enhancing fighter, bomber and cargo aircraft missions. The multi-role tanker's primary mission is to refuel Air Force, sister service and coalition aircraft, but it also fills other jobs, including airlifting cargo,

  • Upgrades retrofit T-38 with latest technology

    Airmen from the 416th Flight Test Squadron wrapped up flight tests on software upgrades in an ongoing T-38 Talon avionics upgrade here recently.The latest set of upgrades is the third in a series. During this series, testers performed about 18 sorties October through April, validating the new

  • Upgrades to missile detection radar earns civilian recognition

    Dr. Donald Hoying, the radar’s program manager at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, leads a team of 50 military and government civilians and contractors who are working to upgrade these SSMs while improving the radar’s satellite, space-borne object and missile detection capabilities. In November,

  • Upgrading the warfighter

    Airmen who wear glasses or contact lenses know how difficult it can be to deploy to an environment riddled with sand and dust. The Wilford Hall Refractive Surgery Center is offering to fix this problem, giving Airmen the chance to surgically correct their vision, with no wait. "If you look at an

  • Uruguayan armed forces train with rescue reservists

    Ten members of the Uruguayan armed forces visited Air Force Reserve Command's 920th Rescue Wing here Aug. 29 through Sept. 2 to get hands-on rescue orientation and training.The South American team was made up of pilots, a loadmaster and pararescue jumpers.Air Force officials, through the American

  • US Air Force aircraft crashes in western Iraq

    At approximately 6:45 p.m. GMT March 15, 2018, an Air Force HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crashed in western Iraq. The crash does not appear to be a result of enemy activity. This incident is under investigation.

  • US Air Force awards F-15EX engine contract

    The United States Air Force awarded a $1,579,662,187 contract to General Electric, GE Edison Works, Cincinnati, Oct. 29, for the purchase of 29 engines — installs and spares — in support of the production of 12 F-15EX Eagle II aircraft.

  • US Air Force elevates AFSOUTH to Service Component Command

    At the direction of the SECAF, AFSOUTH was elevated to a Service Component Command as the Air Force is organizing its major commands into Institutional Commands and Service Component Commands as part of the DAF’s Great Power Competition initiative.

  • US Air Force exchange officer soars with partners down under

    U.S. Air Force Maj. Thomas Larner is serving with the Royal Australian Air Force No. 1 Squadron, based at RAAF Base Amberley, Australia, as part of the U.S. Air Force military personnel exchange program. The program allows service members the opportunity to integrate into military units of foreign

  • US Air Force hydrazine team train Chilean Airmen

    A U.S. Air Force hydrazine Mobile Training Team traveled to Los Condores Air Base, Chile, to conduct classroom instruction and hands-on training with Chilean Air Force fuels technicians Nov. 5-16.

  • US Air Force names first overseas-based F-35A squadron

    In Norse mythology, Valkyries are female figures who choose those that will live or die in battle. RAF Lakenheath is in the east of the United Kingdom, an area with extensive Viking and Norse history. Additionally, the 495th FS motto, “Mala Ipsa Nova,” in Latin, means “Bad News Itself.” Both factors

  • US Air Force partners with Portugal to host European Partnership Flight

    The European Partnership Flight co-hosted by U.S. Air Forces Europe and Air Forces Africa and the Portuguese air force, was a way for U.S., European and African partner nations to improve professional military knowledge and skills. Members traveled from Bulgaria, Croatia, Morocco, Poland, Romania,

  • US Air Force upgrades eye protection for aircrew

    Comprised of eight different devices and known as the Block 3 family of products, the eyewear will provide protection from laser threats and introduces a combined laser and ballistic protection capability for the first time.

  • US Air Force's European consolidation results announced

    The Office of the Secretary of Defense announced the results of the European Infrastructure Consolidation (EIC) review Jan. 8, which will realign several missions in U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA) within seven years.Under the EIC, the Defense Department will divest