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U.S. Air Force News

  • Changes ahead for Air Force acquisition

    More than 275 Air Force and defense industry leaders met here Sept. 3 to discuss military technology acquisition challenges and opportunities facing the nation. The Air Force Association Technology Symposium was timed to immediately follow the semi-annual Air Force Materiel Command Senior Leaders

  • AFSPC commander discusses space, cyberspace future at AFA convention

    The Air Force's lead for integrating space and cyberspace capabilities spoke at the 2009 Annual Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition at the National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Md., Sept. 15. Gen. C. Robert Kehler, commander of the 43,000-member Air Force Space Command,

  • SecDEF announces return of KC-X program

    Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced the return of the KC-X program to the Air Force during the 2009 Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition at the National Harbor, Oxon Hill, Md., Sept. 16. The announcement sparked applause as KC-X, the Air Force's tanker

  • New AFOSR magnetron may help defeat enemy electronics

    Researchers at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MIch., invented a new type of magnetron that could improve radar resolution. The magnetron is a type of vacuum tube used as the frequency source in microwave ovens, radar systems and other high-power microwave circuits. The project is funded by

  • Senior Air Force enlisted leaders address Airmen's concerns

    Five command chiefs and the chief master sergeant of the Air Force led a forum to answer Airmen's questions on a myriad of issues affecting the service during the 2009 Air Force Association Air & Space Conference and Technology Exposition Sept. 15 at the National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. Spearheaded

  • Air Force officials Twitter from AFA events

    It was one year ago this week that Air Force officials here took the first official step into social media when a public affairs team blogged from the 2008 Air and Space Conference and Technology Exposition. This year, in addition to providing daily wrap-ups on the official blog, U.S. Air Force Live

  • CSAF addresses AFA convention

    Gen. Norton Schwartz, chief of staff of the Air Force, spoke Sept. 15 on his vision for the future, jointness, the Year of the Air Force Family and honored heroic sacrifices of Airmen. The general made his comments in a keynote address at the Air Force Association's Air & Space Conference and

  • ReserveNet changes to ARCNet, welcomes Air National Guard members

    ReserveNet has a new name and a new mission. After a year of coordination between Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard officials, ARCNet was established Sept. 1 to provide ReserveNet capabilities to Air Guard members. Until now, only reservists had access to these resources used to train,

  • Air Force Week Sacramento ends with air show

    Amid tumble dives and barrel rolls, vintage aircraft and modern fighters, the California Capital Air Show concluded Air Force Week here Sept. 12 and 13. The event, which took place at Mather Airport, the site of former Mather Air Force Base, drew more than 50,000 people and offered a variety of

  • C-5M Super Galaxy unofficially sets 41 world records

    A Dover aircrew flying a C-5M Super Galaxy, named The Spirit of Normandy, unofficially set 41 world records in a single flight, taking off from the base before dawn Sept. 13. The results are pending certification by the National Aeronautic Association and should be finalized in about a month, said

  • Air Force officials fund super-fast, secure computing

    Air Force Office of Scientific Research-supported physicists at the University of Michigan are developing innovative components for quantum, or super-fast, computers that will improve security for data storage and transmission on Air Force systems. According to Professor Duncan Steel, lead

  • Flight tests propel critical satellite communications program

    A team here wrapped up a series of successful flight tests that demonstrated the near-fruition of an advanced satellite communication capability. The tests on the Family of Advanced Beyond-Line-of-Sight Terminals, or FAB-T, means the Department of Defense is closer to being able to move large

  • Air Force Flight Standards Agency owns rules, regulations of flight

    Picture an airfield. Aircraft taxi along the runway, pilots discussing clearances with air traffic controllers. Ground-flight operators drive the flight line ensuring the lights and navigation aids work and business can continue as scheduled. Their routines are possible because of the Air Force

  • U.S and Canada sign agreement on civil space cooperation

    NASA Administrator Charles Bolden and Canadian Space Agency President Steve MacLean signed a framework agreement Wednesday for cooperative activities in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes.  Canadian Ambassador to the United States Michael Wilson hosted the signing at the

  • Missile retrofit provides better accuracy, saves Air Force money

    Members of the 86th Munitions Squadron here recently upgraded their AGM-65 Maverick H-and-K-model missile systems as part of the Air Force effort to modernize its air and space inventories. With the help of an Air Force Reserve ammunition team and a Maverick Systems Program Office team from Raytheon

  • Secretary Gates explains opposition to alternate F-35 engine

    A proposed alternative engine for the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter would cost far more than the existing engine and push back the production timetable, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said in early September. Secretary Gates visited the Lockheed Martin F-35 factory Aug. 31 in Fort Worth,

  • Gates cites importance of acquisition reform

    It is imperative for the nation to get defense acquisition reform right, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said Aug. 31 during a visit to Texas to tour the plants of two major defense contractors. Americans are getting value for their tax dollars spent in the defense realm, Secretary Gates said

  • Defense secretary touts F-35 as heart of future tactical combat aviation

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates visited the Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter factory here Aug. 31, assessing progress on what he called "the heart of the future of our tactical combat aviation." Secretary Gates walked through the mile-long production facility, getting

  • Secretary Gates to MC-12 workers: Your work is saving troops' lives

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates gave a pep talk to employees outfitting the MC-12 Liberty aircraft for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions Aug. 31 here, telling them their work is saving lives on the battlefield. Secretary Gates visited the L3 Communications plant here, getting

  • AF general thanks Coast Guard for continuous shuttle support

    The Air Forces Northern commander and overseer of the Joint Task Force-Space Transportation System visited the Coast Guard Station Port Canaveral, Fla., to express his thanks to the team for their continued support of the JTF-STS mission. "NASA's mission is one of international importance, and your

  • Airmen protect space assets in new Air Force commercial

    An Air Force commercial highlighting the role men and women in the Air Force's Joint Space Operations Center at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., play in protecting satellite and other space assets begins airing Aug. 31 in television markets and select movie theaters across the country. "Space

  • 'Today's Air Force' features chief of staff first-year reflections

    In this edition of "Today's Air Force," the chief of staff of the Air Force reflects on his first year on the job, the Global Positioning System gets a high tech upgrade, and Airmen turn to a new program in Iraq to get help dealing with combat stress.Major changes have taken place across the Air

  • Defense Department turns to ESC to lead way on NextGen

    Dr. Tim Rudolph, the Electronic Systems Center's chief technology officer, has been named the Defense Department's lead architect for a federal initiative known as the Next Generation Air Transportation System. The center's 653rd Electronic Systems Wing here, which has a lot of experience with

  • OC-ALC to refurbish Navy E-6 aircraft

    Workers from the 566th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron here will begin work next month on the first of the Navy's E-6B Mercury aircraft scheduled for a service life extension program refit. The refit will involve inspecting and replacing up to 15,000 fasteners on the aircraft's wings. Fastener holes

  • New supercomputer supports ISR research, development

    Desch, one of the world's most powerful supercomputers, will be dedicated during a ceremony here Aug. 31. The Desch is a custom-designed SGI Altix ICE 8200 supercomputer that has been optimized and will be dedicated exclusively to support real-time translation of synthetic aperture radar data into

  • Next-gen spacecraft stops at Holloman

    NASA's next generation of a manned-spacecraft  made a stop at Holloman AFB on its way to White Sands Missile Range, N.M. where launch abort tests will be performed. The Orion Program's Pad Abort One Crew Module arrived here Aug. 19 via a C-17 Globemaster III and left aboard a tractor-trailer Aug. 21

  • NASA accepting applications for aeronautics scholarship awards

    Officials in NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate will begin accepting scholarship applications on Sept. 1 for the 2010 academic year. The application deadline is Jan. 11, 2010. "These scholarships are a fantastic way to support our brightest students and encourage them to finish their

  • Engine program aims to meet military's need for speed

    The F-22 Raptor and F/A-18 Hornet fighter jets are fast, screaming through the air at twice the speed of sound.  But the SR-71 Blackbird was faster, flying Mach 3 until mechanical problems and exorbitant operating costs forced it out of service in the late 1990s. Now, Defense Advanced Research

  • Defense Department Web site eases information delivery

    The new Defense Department Web site is designed to make military news and information more accessible, and also invites greater participation from the public, the department's top public affairs official said Aug. 25. "[Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates] wanted to hear back from people more. He felt

  • Collaboration key to success in cyber operations

    The Air Force Information Technology Conference opened Aug. 24 in Montgomery, Ala., with keynote addresses from the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the Air Force chief of staff and the CEO of McAfee, Inc. Collaboration emerged as a key theme in the opening day of the conference, which is now in

  • NATO AWACS proves interoperability during test

    A NATO E-3 AWACS took part in six-hour combat scenarios that demonstrated interoperability between its prototype interrogator and various joint platforms that interrogate in the same mode in July flying at an observation point 100 miles off the coast of Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md. During

  • Four USSTRATCOM units win prestigious awards

    Four units of U.S. Strategic Command have been selected to receive the Omaha Trophy for 2008 in their respective categories.  The trophy is presented annually to USSTRATCOM units demonstrating the highest performance standards. Selection for each of the four award categories is based on formal

  • Communications directorate consolidates, stands-up

    The air logistics center here becomes the first in Air Force Materiel Command to stand up a communications directorate. As a part of an effort to consolidate the communications squadrons and the information technology directorates, the three AFMC ALCs are required to combine the two. In a ceremony

  • Air Force Secretary to speak at C2ISR symposium

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael B. Donley will be the dinner guest speaker at the C2ISR Symposium and Technology Exposition, joining a number of presenters for the event. The symposium will be held Sept. 28 through 30 at the MGM Grand Hotel at Foxwoods in Ledyard, Conn. The secretary will speak

  • AF Research Lab scientist wins award for groundbreaking research

    Dr. Paul Barnes, an Air Force Research Lab scientist, has been selected as the winner of a 2009 Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, or STEM, award. Dr. Barnes has received the John L. McLucas Basic Research STEM Award for of his outstanding scientific achievements in superconducting

  • 24th Air Force activated, 2 units realign in joint ceremony

    Air Force officials here activated the newest numbered Air Force and realigned two units under its command in a joint ceremony here Aug. 18. The 24th Air Force activation under Air Force Space Command is a major milestone in the combination of space and cyberspace operations within one command. Gen.

  • Center for Cyberspace Research awarded a $2.1 million grant

    The Center for Cyberspace Research at the Air Force Institute of Technology here has been awarded a National Science Foundation Cyber Education Grant in the amount of $2.1 million to continue its Scholarship for Service fellowship program that recruits and educates talented civilians to work for

  • Final Air Force Delta II launches

    Air Force personnel successfully launched a United Launch Alliance Delta II booster carrying the 21st modernized NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite into space Aug. 17. The NAVSTAR GPS was launched at 6:35 a.m. (Eastern Daylight Time) from Space Launch Complex 17A here. "With this

  • Google Voice answers nation's call

    Google is tinkering with a new service that could transform the way troops on the frontlines communicate with their families on the homefront. Google Voice assigns users a single U.S. phone number that can ring at phones in multiple locations like the home, office or on a cellular device -- all at

  • Airmen help connect Iraqi army, air force

    The Iraqi air force and army, aided by American Airmen, established radio communication here Aug. 11 in an effort to improve collaboration between the two services during operations. Although the weather prevented the two services from conducting their original training mission, the day was a big

  • NASA to use Lackland as stopover

    Lackland Air Force Base officials will support the NASA space program by allowing the space shuttle to stopover here while on its ferry ride home if the shuttle does not land at Kennedy Space Center, Florida. Before Kelly AFB in San Antonio closed in 2001, the airfield was the most frequent stop in

  • Air Guard should keep UAS missions

    The Air National Guard should remain in the unmanned aircraft systems business now and in the future, the chairman of the service's UAS weapons system council said Aug. 17. Col. Bob Becklund, who is also the commander of the 119th Wing in Fargo, N.D., said his attendance at the Association for

  • '84 Academy grad to pilot shuttle

    A U.S. Air Force Academy graduate will pilot Space Shuttle mission STS-134 to the International Space Station, NASA announced Aug. 12. Retired Col. Gregory Johnson will serve as the pilot for the mission, commanded by Navy Capt. Mark Kelly. Mission specialists are Col. Michael Fincke, Greg

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research launches social media outreach

    The Air Force Office of Scientific Research announced Aug. 11 the launch of two new pages on Facebook and Twitter. To follow AFOSR on each site, type "AFOSR" in the search box on each page. The new AFOSR Facebook and Twitter pages will provide real-time information on AFOSR stories, accomplishments,

  • Convention showcases unmanned capabilities

    Senior defense officials are getting a glimpse of the latest in unmanned systems technologies, which many concede is the way of the future for the U.S. military, in August here.More than 5,000 people from 30 countries took part in the exhibition of robots and unmanned systems capabilities at the

  • AETC takes first step into Facebook

    Officials launched Air Education and Training Command  into the world of social networking Aug. 10 with the debut of a fan page on Facebook. AETC Public Affairs maintains the business page and plans to update "fans" a few times per week with news links, photos, events and videos. The goal is to

  • E-tools give Robins personnel access to digital data

    For decades, whenever an aircraft mechanic at Robins Air Force Base needed a technical drawing, technical order or any other document related to a repair, the mechanic had to traipse over to a warehouse, locate the drawing and return to the aircraft. That process would typically be completed many

  • Infrared camera saves base money, time

    The camera looks about like any standard home-video camera, but the price tag for it is about that of an expensive luxury sedan. And it has more than paid for itself, said Wayne Merritt, a predictive maintenance technician with the 78th Civil Engineer Squadron here. The camera, which costs about

  • Technology convergence could prevent war, futurist says

    The convergence of "exponentially advancing technologies" will form a "super-intelligence" so formidable that it could avert war, according to one of the world's leading futurists. Dr. James Canton, CEO and chairman of the Institute for Global Futures, a San Francisco-based think tank, is author of

  • Officials look to solve social network risks without ban

    As Pentagon officials here weigh the benefits and risks of social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, they hope to craft a policy that shores up security vulnerabilities without requiring a ban. Meanwhile, Marine Corps officials clarified its guidelines on social networking, and said they

  • Pentagon officials weigh social networking benefits, vulnerabilities

    Defense Department officials here are weighing the benefits of social networking and other Web 2.0 platforms against potential security vulnerabilities they create. In a memo issued in late July, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III directed a study of social media sites like Twitter,

  • WaveRider test vehicle meets B-52

    Airmen successfully mated the X-51A WaveRider flight test vehicle to a B-52 Stratofortress July 17 at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The fit check followed integration earlier in the month of the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne scramjet propulsion system into the X-51 at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale,

  • Major force protection contract awarded

    A team of professionals led by Hanscom's 642nd Electronic Systems Squadron recently ensured Air Force security forces around the world will have access to cutting edge integrated base defense systems for the next five years. On July 24, the Air Force awarded a Force Protection Security System

  • Air Force officials to host UAS Symposium

    Air Force officials will host the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Symposium Aug. 4 to 6 at the University of North Dakota, in which participants will address representatives of academic institutions and industry as well as local military leaders regarding the Air Force UAS vision.Air Force leaders

  • Flight test shows small antenna can do big things

    Electronic Systems Center and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory personnel demonstrated the powerful capabilities of a small antenna during a flight test conducted earlier this summer here. The 7-inch-high-by-14-inch-wide antenna performed so well that only one flight test was

  • New process to drastically change programmed maintenance

    A C-130 Hercules is scheduled to arrive at Robins Air Force Base July 31 to mark the beginning of what is expected by Air Force officials to be a dramatic change in the way aircraft maintenance is done. The Air Mobility Command plane will be the first validation aircraft for high-velocity

  • Academy officials add unmanned aircraft system into curriculum

    U.S. Air Force Academy officials here integrated unmanned aircraft systems into the school's curriculum. "The Air Force has made unmanned aircraft systems a priority for our service, and the value of these capabilities is evidenced on a daily basis in Iraq and Afghanistan," said Lt. Gen. Michael C.

  • Remote base uses natural energy to power facilities

    A small Air Force Space Command base on the British-owned island of Ascension uses natural energy to help power its facilities. Called Ascension Auxiliary Airfield, the small base serves as a satellite tracking station for the 45th Space Wing.Located in the South Atlantic Ocean several thousand

  • Cadets learn by doing during summer program at AFOTEC

    Learning by doing is exactly what 13 U.S. Air Force Academy cadets did when they traveled to six Air Force Operational Test and Evaluation Center locations to work as full-fledged members of operational test and evaluation teams and gain hands-on exposure to operational testing processes, products

  • Tinker refurbishes F-22 air turbines

    As part of a new cooperative agreement, air turbines and more than 30 other components from the F-22 Raptor now undergo maintenance here.In a joint agreement between private manufacturers Lockheed Martin, Honeywell and the Air Force, workers from the 550th Commodities Maintenance Squadron now

  • Remote ground radar keeps AOR personnel safe

    Danger is ever present in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. In Southwest Asia, there is a squadron dedicated to keeping Airmen safe by providing a complete snapshot of the battlespace. The more than 100 personnel from the 71st Expeditionary Air Control Squadron keep U.S. and coalition

  • Defense Department must end business as usual, Gates says

    Defense spending and program priorities cannot be divorced from the very real threats of today and the growing ones of tomorrow, the defense secretary told hundreds of members of the Economics Club of Chicago here July 16. "We stand at a crossroads," Robert M. Gates said. "It is time to draw the

  • Military Health System embraces social media

    The Military Health System is one of the many Defense Department organizations embracing social networking in order to provide information to and receive feedback from servicemembers. Dr. Michael Kilpatrick, director of strategic communications for the Military Health System, detailed the

  • ESC, MITRE officials take hands-on approach to terminal management

    Officials at Electronic Systems Center and MITRE Corp. are taking a hands-on approach to managing a major satellite communications terminal program, especially now that they have purchased and set one up in their own backyard. More specifically, a team from the 653rd Electronic Systems Wing's Space

  • 2 Airmen chosen as astronaut candidates

    Two Air Force officers have been chosen by NASA officials for the 2009 Astronaut Candidate Class July 9.Lt. Col. Mike Hopkins and Maj. Jack Fischer will attend the first iteration of a program designed to ready astronaut candidates for new missions and settings.With NASA's space shuttle program

  • Air Force Communications Agency to change name

    The Air Force Communications Agency will be redesignated the Air Force Network Integration Center to more accurately reflect its role in cyberspace operations July 15 here.The name change comes at a time when the Air Force continues to align its cyber forces under Air Force Space Command, located at

  • Hanscom team works to upgrade airborne comm for top U.S. officials

    A Hanscom Air Force Base team is working to acquire a comprehensive system that will provide highly reliable, secure and integrated voice, data and video equipment for airborne U.S. senior leaders. Those leaders include the vice president, secretary of defense, secretary of state, numerous senior

  • Moody A-10s to receive new sniper pods

    Moody Air Force Base A-10 Thunderbolt II pilots operating over Iraq and Afghanistan this fall will be armed with new targeting pods designed to increase the already lethal capabilities. A number of the 23rd Fighter Group's A-10s will be upgraded to the Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods, which are

  • Nonlethal capabilities provide alternative to deadly force

    When shouting isn't enough to stop someone who poses a threat, nonlethal weapons provide an alternative to lethal force. "Non-lethal weapons give warfighters crucial escalation-of-force options between shouting and shooting," said Kelley Hughes, strategic communications officer for the Joint

  • Air Force chief of staff to deliver keynote address at C2ISR Symposium

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz will be a keynote speaker at the Air Force C2ISR Symposium and Technology Exposition, to be held Sept. 28-30 at the MGM Grand Hotel at Foxwoods in Ledyard, Conn.  C2ISR is command, control, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.General Schwartz,

  • Air Force reservists 'tweet,' blog, post their way to cyberspace

    A couple of times a day, Master Sgt. Collen McGee logs onto the 433rd Airlift Wing's Twitter account and "tweets" updates to 675 followers from around the world. Using the twitter handle of @AFRC_433, Sergeant McGee condenses messages to 140 characters, often including links to related Web sites.

  • Vandenberg officials launch Minuteman III

    Vandenberg Air Force Base officials launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile configured with a National Nuclear Security Administration test assembly from North Vandenberg at 3:01 a.m. PDT June 29. The launch was an operational test to verify the weapon system's

  • Ground, flight tests yield zero interference for interrogator system

    Overseas ground and flight testing on a NATO Airborne Warning and Control System recently demonstrated that a prototype waveform designed to better distinguish friendly forces from foes did not interfere with European civilian air traffic control. This paves the way for 635th Electronic Systems

  • ESC officials award contract to meet urgent need

    Electronic Systems Center officials here awarded a contract June 24 to Northrop Grumman Corp. to field and deploy an airborne communications system that provides real-time battlefield information to warfighters. The center awarded the $276 million, 18-month contract to incorporate the Battlefield

  • AETC Future Learning Division staff 'tweets' for new programs

    Air Education and Training Command's Future Learning Division staff here plummeted into the social networking, micro blogging Web site Twitter last month in an effort to explore the site's potential uses in training today's Airmen for tomorrow. "[The future learning division is] looking into

  • Tactical Satellite-3 completes successful first month of operations

    The Tactical Satellite-3 has exceeded expectations and is performing well a month after being launched, according to the program manager of the experimental spacecraft. Launched May 19, TacSat-3 is managed by the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate officials here. The TacSat-3

  • Air University leader presents honorary degree to former astronaut

    The commander of the first mission to orbit the moon received an honorary doctor of science degree by Air University officials for his contributions to aviation and space exploration at the Air Force Test Pilot School June 13 here. Retired Col. Frank Borman, the leader of the Apollo 8

  • Advanced tactical laser aircraft fires high-power laser in flight

    Members of the 413th Flight Test Squadron, Hurlburt Field, Fla., and contractor Boeing recently successfully fired the high-power laser aboard the Advanced Tactical Laser aircraft for the first time in flight. The combined effort between Boeing and the 413th was instrumental to the "first light" of

  • Enhanced Global Hawk to roll out June 25

    Air Force and Northrop Grumman officials will roll out the first Block 40 RQ-4 Global Hawk June 25 at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif. The Block 40 carries the Multi-platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) enhanced sensor suite. The Air Force plans to purchase 15 of the Block 40

  • Texas students get taste of Air Force science, engineering

    Air Force Personnel Center officials here hope to whet the appetites of young science, math and engineering students, so they might later seek "blue chip" career paths, hopefully Air Force blue. Toward this end, AFPC's science and engineering career field management team have partnered with the

  • Super Car documentary debuts on airforce.com

    The making of the Air Force's newest national mobile marketing assets, the X-1 and Vapor, can now be seen in a 22-minute documentary featured on airforce.com. The documentary captures a team of Airmen chosen to work with a crew at Galpin Auto Sports to customize a white Ford Mustang (X-1) and a

  • New software system offers better accessibility, speed

    Intelligence analysts' hunt for a piece of data in the puzzle of situational awareness got a little easier with the delivery of the latest version of DCGS Integration Backbone or DIB version, a software system that puts more flexible features and services into warfighters' hands. "The key to this

  • MC-12 joins the fight in Iraq

    The Air Force's new MC-12 Liberty aircraft, a manned special-mission turboprop aircraft designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance to support coalition and joint ground forces, arrived June 8 to Joint Base Balad. Following the MC-12's arrival, the 362nd Expeditionary Reconnaissance

  • Questions abound in cyber theater of operations, vice chairman says

    Cyber operations simply are another theater of operations for the U.S. military, and the Defense Department must apply the same analytical rigor and resources to it as it would to any other theater, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said recently. "There will be a cyber capability at

  • Research officials study energy harvesting for future unmanned aircraft

    The University of Washington's Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative project team is working on airborne solar cells that are dye-sensitized solar cells and expected to power Air Force unmanned aircraft in the future because they are an optimum energy harvesting source that may lead to

  • Public invited to new NASA 'human space flight' Web site

    NASA officials are inviting people to make their voice heard as a panel of experts undertakes an independent review of planned U.S. human space flight activities. They have created a Web site for the Review of U.S. Human Space Flight Plans Committee to facilitate a two-way conversation with the

  • Officials announce commander of 24th Air Force

    Air Force officials announced June 4 the commander of 24th Air Force, a new numbered Air Force focused on the cyber mission. Maj. Gen. Richard E. Webber will assume command of the NAF later this year.Currently, General Webber is the assistant deputy chief for air, space and information operations,

  • Photo Essay: Shuttle transitions through bases

    Space Shuttle Atlantis riding atop a NASA-modified Boeing 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft taxies after landing June 2 at Columbus Air Force Base, Miss. Columbus AFB was the shuttle's final stop for fuel before finishing its journey to Kennedy Space Center, Fla. View the shuttle slideshow

  • Demonstration to showcase life-saving information-sharing technologies

    Wildfires in California, hurricanes battering the East Coast and insurgents attacking a U.S. convoy are among simulated real-time events that will put life-saving information-sharing technologies on center stage during the Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration scheduled for June 15 to

  • Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft makes first flight

    Members of the Air Force Research Laboratory and Lockheed Martin's famed 'Skunk Works' launched a new era of aircraft manufacturing technology and performance with the successful initial demonstration flight of the Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft June 2 at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, Calif.

  • Air Force jobs, people on display during Air Force Week Salt Lake City

    Pioneer Park here has been transformed into an Air Force "playground" during Air Force Week Salt Lake City. The park is the site for the "Our Nation's Defenders Showcase," an event that highlights Air Force specialties, skills and people through exhibits, interactive games and various

  • President announces cyber security office

    The nation's computer network infrastructure will be defended as a national strategic asset, President Barack Obama said here May 29. In a White House announcement, President Obama said he will appoint a cyber security coordinator for the critical infrastructure that all Americans depend on. "We

  • ESC officials complete milestone for advanced radar system

    Equipping warfighters with the technology to detect moving targets in combat gained momentum when Electronic Systems Center officials here, in concert with prime contractors and other organizations, recently completed a key flight milestone for the Multiplatform Radar Technology Insertion Program.

  • Obama touts solar power at airpower hub

    President Barack Obama held up Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., as an example for America to follow toward energy independence during a visit there May 27. The air base, a huge facility outside Las Vegas best known as the "Home of the Fighter Pilot," also is the site of the largest solar electric plant

  • Space operations vital to Air Force, nation

    Air Force officials discussed the importance of space as a warfighting domain before members of the Senate May 20 on Capitol Hill. Senior Air Force leaders in the space realm answered questions from the Senate Armed Services Committee Strategic Force Subcommittee, telling them that Air Force

  • Space Command officials exceed GPS standard

    Air Force Space Command officials here maintain the Global Positioning System constellation that now has 30 operational satellites, six more than the standard."I have high confidence we will continue to sustain at least the 24 satellites required to maintain our current performance standard," said