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U.S. Air Force News

  • Command's first-ever Global Strike Challenge under way

    Intercontinental ballistic missile, B-2 Spirit, B-52 Stratofortress and B-1 Lancer units are competing in the first Global Strike Challenge, showcasing the capabilities and expertise of missile, bomber and security forces Airmen. "Global Strike Challenge will help us build pride and a culture of

  • Air Force Week in Photos

    This week's photo highlights feature Airmen around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.View the slideshow.

  • Air Force, Navy officials partner on unmanned aircraft systems

    In a signed memorandum of agreement, Air Force and Navy officials partnered to maximize commonality, eliminate redundant effort and increase interoperability between the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance unmanned aircraft systems and the RQ-4 Global Hawk system.Signed by Air Force Chief of Staff Gen.

  • AFIT handbook wins engineering book-of-the-year award

    The Military Industrial Engineering Handbook, authored and co-edited by two Air Force Institute of Technology professors, Dr. Adedeji Badiru, head of AFIT's Department of Systems and Engineering Management, and Dr. Marlin Thomas, the dean of the AFIT Graduate School of Engineering and Management,

  • Intrepid Center merges art, science for brain treatment

    When National Intrepid Center of Excellence officials opened the center's doors here last week, the sense of hope in reversing the rising tide of brain injuries and psychological illness in servicemembers was palpable. From its warm design and family-friendly amenities to its best-in-the-world

  • Protective armor plate exchange underway

    A small number of Air Force-issued enhanced small arms protective insert plates are being exchanged this summer due to an unauthorized modification by the manufacturer, according to an Air Force logistics official. Initial records review indicates fewer than 600 plates are affected. While the armor

  • Space command officials embark on many firsts with tactical satellite

    The transition of Tactical Satellite 3 from experimental to operational mode June 18 marked the beginning of many significant firsts as U.S. Strategic Command accepted the hyperspectral satellite for operational use.During its first year in orbit, flown by officials from the Air Force Research

  • Air Force Week in Photos

    This week's photo highlights feature Airmen around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.View the slideshow.

  • Information Protection Workshop 2010 examines security issues, goals

    With a focus on training, education and force development, professionals from major commands, wings, field operating agencies and direct reporting units from across the Air Force gathered here for the 2010 Worldwide Information Protection Workshop June 21 through 25.Hosted by the Air Force

  • New officer course boosts cyberspace transformation

    A new undergraduate cyber training course for officers launched here June 15.Air Force officials allocated $11.7 million to establish the course, and about $7.6 million has already been spent to upgrade facilities and purchase the computer infrastructure, simulators and laboratory networks to

  • Academy's wave energy research faces major test in 2011

    If a U.S. Air Force Academy scientist's idea is proven correct, his research could tap into energy from ocean waves that could supply a large chunk of the world's electricity needs. A typical North Atlantic deep ocean wave is about 126 meters long and 3.5 meters tall, which could yield 100 kW per

  • CWID tests latest in communications for warfighters

    Airmen and Soldiers brought their experience from Afghanistan and Iraq to test the latest communications systems in the Colorado Springs portion of the joint Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration on June 16.The demonstration is designed to improve and enhance command and control;

  • SecAF discusses Minuteman III, space at Vandenberg

    Secretary of the Air Force Michael Donley visited Vandenberg Air Force Base June 15 to 16 to tour the base and observe the Minuteman III test launch.Secretary Donley visited the 14th Air Force Joint Space Operations Center. Lt. Gen. Larry James, the 14th Air Force commander, briefed Secretary Donley

  • Officials announces initial test transmissions from GPS satellite

    Officials from the Space and Missile Systems Center's Global Positioning Systems Wing announced that the first GPS IIF satellite, launched May 27, has begun test transmissions of the new safety-of-life (L5) navigation signal. The L5 signal is a key element of efforts to modernize the GPS

  • 'Today's Air Force' features a look around the service

    In this edition of "Today's Air Force," a scramjet rips through the air as members of Air Force Research Laboratory notch another aviation milestone. In another segment, Airmen get a chance to practice sliding to safety from an air traffic control tower. And, a fighter pilot gets back to his roots

  • Mullen stresses precision, innovation to graduates

    The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told graduates of the National Defense University here June 10 that their careers will be dominated by their understanding of the precise application of military force and national power.NDU's National War College and the Industrial College of the Armed

  • Tac Sat-3 completes groundbreaking experimental mission

    Tactical Satellite-3 will transition from an experimental demonstration to an operational asset when spacecraft control authority officially transfers June 12 from the Air Force Research Laboratory's Space Vehicles Directorate here to Air Force Space Command at Peterson AFB, Colo.Launched in May

  • New cyber chief: People key in meeting cyberspace challenge

    Cyberspace will provide "tremendous opportunities for the future, but also tremendous vulnerabilities," the commander of U.S. Cyber Command said June 3 in his first public appearance since assuming his new post.Citing the explosion in use of the Internet, e-mail, social networking and instant

  • New tech-advanced classroom awaits F-35 students

    A foundation for how the first generation of F-35 Lightning II pilots and maintainers trains for the next half century continues to evolve here as 33rd Fighter Wing officials add state-of-the-art technology to the classroom arsenal. "The technology is fabulous. It brings us to a revolutionary new

  • Technology drives new, better ways to educate Airmen

    Cell phones could soon be the ticket to keeping up with professional development requirements. That's just one concept being explored by officials at Air Education and Training Command, the Air Force's training and education component. Like their counterparts in the Army, Navy and Marine Corps, AETC

  • DOD certifies 6 programs under Nunn-McCurdy Law breaches

    Department of Defense officials have certified that six acquisition programs, including the F-35 Lightning II and the DDG-1000 destroyer, should continue under Nunn-McCurdy legislation.  The systems also include the block 3 upgrade program for the Apache AH-64 helicopter, the advanced threat

  • Airmen upgrade GPS constellation

    Airmen from the 2nd Space Operations Squadron and from the 19th SOPS took control of the Air Force's newest GPS satellite following its launch into orbit May 28 from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.  The GPS IIF SV-1 satellite represents a substantial upgrade for the GPS constellation. Thanks

  • Physiologist recognized at national conference

    A physiologist here was honored at the annual Aerospace Medical Association conference held May 10 through 13 in Phoenix.Lt. Col. Lance Annicelli, the Aerospace and Operational Physiology Training Flight commander for the 359th Aerospace Medicine Squadron, was awarded the 2010 Life Sciences and

  • Shipping traffic delays X-51A launch

    The scheduled May 25 launch of the X-51A Waverider hypersonic flight test vehicle has been postponed 24 hours. The delay was due to the presence of a freighter transiting in a section of the Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center Sea Range several hundred miles off the California coast.A U.S. Navy P-3

  • Guardian Challenge 2010 season a success

    Air Force Space Command officials announced the winners of Guardian Challenge 2010, the command-wide combat competition, during the awards ceremony May 21.The top awards and winners included: - The Schriever Trophy for Best Space Launch Wing: 45th Space Wing, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla. - The

  • Lynn notes Cyber Command's significance

    Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III called the establishment of U.S. Cyber Command at Fort Meade, Md., a milestone in the United States being able to conduct full-spectrum operations in a new domain.Mr. Lynn spoke to reporters in his office May 21 before attending the stand-up of the

  • Portal offers new secure network tool similar to Facebook

    Air Force Portal Web designers are keeping up with the Web 2.0 era by offering portal users a new means to engage in professional communications in a secure social media environment.After initial tests among some 7,000 users in the Air Force's logistics community, the portal's newly developed

  • Gates establishes U.S. Cyber Command, names first commander

    Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates announced May 21 Army Gen. Keith B. Alexander's appointment as the first commander of U.S. Cyber Command, officially establishing the Initial Operating Capability for the new command. The announcement comes immediately following General Alexander's promotion to

  • 4th FW Strike Eagles assist shuttle launch

    Airmen from the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C., and the Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region, or CONR, and Air Forces Northern Command provided crucial airspace control and manning support to the successful launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis May 14

  • X-51A Waverider flight planned for May 25

    Weather permitting, Air Force officials said the X-51A Waverider will make its first hypersonic flight test attempt May 25 after it is released from a B-52 Stratofortress off the southern coast of California.The unmanned X-51A is expected to fly autonomously for five minutes, powered by a supersonic

  • Hanscom Airmen to participate in annual interoperability demo

    Members of the 653rd Electronic Systems Wing's Enterprise Integration Division are preparing for Hanscom AFB to once again become a key site for this year's Coalition Warrior Interoperability Demonstration from June 14 through 24.CWID is a global, annual event directed by the chairman of the Joint

  • Air Guard officials open access to social media sites

    Air National Guard officials have announced that access to popular social media networking sites would become available to all Airmen who use their network. They began to allow access to popular social media networking sites May 10 and were scheduled to have access available to all bases and regions

  • Air Force chief of staff visits School of Aerospace Medicine

    The Air Force's top uniformed officer toured the 711th Human Performance Wing's U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine at Brooks City-Base, Texas, May 13.During his visit, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz reflected on the 92-year history of the school and the unique training and

  • Photo essay: Launch of Atlantis

    Space shuttle Atlantis takes on another mission with six astronauts aboard here May 14. This is the 107th time the 106th Rescue Wing has participated in supporting a shuttle launch.View the slideshow.

  • Leaders conclude successful Sensor Rally

    More than 50 group, wing and center commanders attended the spring Sensor Rally here May 4 and 5. The bi-annual conference for Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency commanders was hosted by members of the agency's 70th ISR Wing headquartered on this Army post just 30 miles

  • Construction begins on first cyber warfare intelligence center

    Engineers with the Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment have begun construction on the new 38,000 square-foot cyber warfare command center.  The facility will be home for the 68th Network Warfare Squadron and the 710th Information Operations Flight currently located at

  • Policy official notes cybersecurity challenges

    Putting cybersecurity in place poses significant challenges for the Defense Department, the government as a whole and for critical infrastructure, the principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for policy said May 12.James N. Miller said cybersecurity "is not a glass half full-glass half empty

  • Ground system adds more bandwidth to cluttered airspace

    The installation of a first-of-its-kind aeronautical telemetry ground system at the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School here is improving aircraft communication in airspace already jumbled by frequencies from cell phones and satellite television.  This technology expands communications capability

  • Space shuttle pilot speaks at Air Force Academy

    The pilot for the STS-131 space shuttle mission and a 1991 Air Force Academy graduate came to the Academy May 7 to speak with Department of Astronautics faculty members and cadets majoring in the astronautics field during a dining-out at the Falcon Club."Col. Jim Dutton is exactly the kind of

  • Officials warn of 'phishing' scams targeting troops

    U.S. Strategic Command officials are urging renewed vigilance against Internet-based identity theft after detecting a widespread "phishing" expedition against servicemembers.Phishing is a term used to describe deceiving people into divulging personal information such as passwords or account numbers

  • Barksdale Airmen test ability during exercise

    Approximately 150 maintenance Airmen, 2nd Bomb Wing pilots and support members recently returned from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, where they participated in the 10-day Exercise Red Flag-Alaska.The exercise is designed to provide realistic and demanding air-combat training to flying unit members

  • New Air Force Combat Systems Officer Course opens at Navy base

    Air Force aviator training took a step into the 21st century May 5, when the inaugural class of Combat Systems Officer students began training here with the 479th Flying Training Group.As they sat down in classes and began a new year-long training program, the CSO students became part of a

  • Air Combat Command leader visits Tinker Airmen

    The commander of Air Combat Command wrapped up a two-day visit with an "all-call" assembly for 552nd Air Control Wing Airmen April 29 here.During the event, Gen. William M. Fraser III spoke about the importance of dedicated, resilient and innovative Airmen.He also spoke about the 552nd ACW mission

  • Gates to brief Senate on new START treaty

    Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates is slated to go to Capitol Hill May 7 to brief the full Senate on the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty that President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed last month, Pentagon Press Secretary Geoff Morrell said May 7 here.Secretary of State

  • Surgeon commends benefits of tech advances, joint efforts, AFSO 21

    Technological advances, joint efforts and a focus on Air Force Smart Operations for the 21st Century have led to great strides in military combat and peacetime healthcare, said Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Richard A. "Rick" Hersack, the command surgeon of the Air Force Materiel Command.In the technological

  • Social media sites add dimension to sharing information

    A new Facebook fan page is giving the Air Force community an interactive platform for exchanging news, information and feedback about programs that affect their personal and professional lives. US Air Force Life and Career debuted earlier this year and has captured topics fresh on the minds of Air

  • General sees opportunity, innovation at F-35 training wing

    The commander of Air Education and Training Command visited the 33rd Fighter Wing April 26 here.General Stephen R. Lorenz visited Eglin Air Force Base to observe how the wing staff is taking "the opportunity to shape the future," by training pilots and maintainers on the F-35 Lightning II."(The

  • U.S., Pakistan relations bolstered by F-16 training

    Eight Pakistani air force pilots, each experienced in the F-16 Fighting Falcon's A and B models, recently learned to fly the newer C- and D-model aircraft at the 162nd Fighter Wing, the international F-16 training unit, and were honored at a graduation ceremony May 4 here.Pakistan's air force

  • Joint Base McGuire selected to test drive new fuel truck

    Members of the 87th Logistics Readiness Squadron here received a new refueling vehicle April 14 to evaluate its performance.The Rampmaster 17.5K large capacity refueling vehicle is augmenting the current fleet of nine R-11 tank-refueling trucks and nine R-12 hydrant-servicing vehicles already used

  • State-of-the-art equipment bridges the gap

    Army Corps of Engineers members along with members of the 84th Engineer Support Company, 6th Engineer Battalion, tested a new bridging system April 28, 2010, at Fort Richardson, Alaska, to help the military travel across a wide variety of terrain quickly. Testing of the Lightweight Modular Causeway

  • DOD acquisition leader shares his priorities

    More than 700 military, civilian and contractor acquisition professionals and defense industry partners discussed challenges they face during the Department of Defense Acquisition Insight Conference April 20 through 21 here.The Pentagon's top acquisition official, Dr. Ashton Carter, Undersecretary

  • Joint F-35 electronic warfare squadron stands up

    The squadron serving as the sole Department of Defense provider of electronic warfare support for the F-35 joint strike fighter activated April 23 in a ceremony here. Surrounded by artifacts from the history of airpower in the Air Armament Museum, the 513th Electronic Warfare Squadron stood up as a

  • Air Force Week in Photos

    This week's photo highlights feature Airmen around the globe involved in activities supporting expeditionary operations and defending America. This weekly feature showcases the men and women of the Air Force.View slideshow.

  • Boeing officials bring 787 to Eglin AFB for weather tests

    Officials at the McKinley Climatic Lab here are hosting Boeing's newest passenger aircraft, the 787 Dreamliner, for two weeks of cold and hot weather testing.The new plane arrived April 18 and was moved into the lab to begin its cold-weather testing with temperatures reaching minus 45 degrees. The

  • Lynn discusses social media at Facebook headquarters

    You could call the Facebook headquarters the "un-Pentagon." The dress is casual, with far more T-shirts than sport coats, and many workers wear sandals instead of shoes.A skateboard was parked outside one office. An employee who spotted a group in business suits remarked, "If they're wearing ties,

  • New Air Force cyberspace badge guidelines released

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton A. Schwartz has approved the new cyberspace badge and associated wear criteria.In his Apr. 21 memorandum, General Schwartz set forth guidelines and addressed standard eligibility requirements for officers working in the cyberspace domain. Eligibility criteria for

  • Air Force recruiters debut 'augmented reality' mobile tour

    The U.S. Air Force's newest mobile marketing tour, "Command Center Alpha," was unveiled April 22 at the Suwannee River Jam in Live Oak, Fla. Command Center Alpha is a first-of-its-kind augmented reality mobile tour experience that immerses visitors in the "sci-fi" world of the U.S. Air Force. The

  • Air Force-wide social media access begins

    Air Force officials began a two-week phased opening April 26 of access to social media sites Air Force-wide. Pacific Air Forces bases gained access to social media sites earlier in April, serving as the test-bed prior to the Air Force-wide initiative.Air Force Space Command, Air Education and

  • B-1 adapts, remains effective after 25 years

    The non-nuclear B-1 Lancer has adapted from a strategic mission to a close-air support role, and will continue to play an effective part in today's fight in Afghanistan and Iraq, according to leaders here. While the remaining bombers in the Air Force inventory transferred to Air Force Global Strike

  • F-16 drawdown begins at Spangdahlem

    Six F-16 Fighting Falcons are scheduled to depart here April 27 as the first step for the 52nd Fighter Wing staff in the Combat Air Force Restructuring plan expected to save the Air Force approximately $355 million in fiscal 2010 and $3.5 billion during the next five fiscal years.An additional six

  • Aircrew breaks C-17 record with heaviest airdrop

    Members of the 418th Flight Test Squadron here set a record for the heaviest single payload ever extracted out of a C-17A T-1 during flight April 14 over Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz. A 77,000 pound jumbo drop test vehicle was extracted out of a C-17 at 25,000 feet. The JDTV is used to test the

  • Air Force officials launch Atlas V carrying X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle

    Members of the 45th Space Wing here launched a United Launch Alliance-built Atlas V Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle carrying an X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle at 7:52 p.m. EDT April 22 here.The X-37B, making its first space flight, will provide a flexible space test platform to conduct various

  • Contract award to enhance in-flight operations for top U.S. officials

    Air Force officials here issued a contract award in mid-April that will provide highly reliable, secure and integrated voice, data and video equipment for airborne U.S. senior leaders. The nearly $209 million award to Rockwell Collins will allow Air Force officials to retrofit a fleet of 20 special

  • Air Force F-35 completes first test flight

    The Air Force version of the F-35A flew for an hour April 20 from Naval Air Station Fort Worth Joint Reserve Base, Texas, becoming the seventh F-35 Lightning II to fly. AF-2, the conventional takeoff and landing aircraft, is the Air Force's version of the Joint Strike Fighter. This fifth-generation

  • VA officials mark 85 years of 'discovery, innovation and advancement'

    Eighty-five years of enriching the lives of veterans and all Americans through top-notch medical research will be spotlighted April 26 through 30 when members of the Department of Veterans Affairs celebrate National VA Research Week.On April 22, Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs W. Scott Gould

  • Department hailed as leader in 'green' movement

    In a prelude to this week's Earth Day events, a major independent research group April 21 called the Defense Department a leader in energy conservation."The department is doing more than sounding an alarm; it has enacted energy goals and is inventing, testing and deploying new technologies and

  • Official details results of missile review

    Ballistic missiles are an increasing threat to the United States and the Defense Department must keep up with them, the deputy undersecretary of defense for policy said.James N. Miller, speaking about the department's Nuclear Posture Review April 20 before the Senate Armed Services Committee, said

  • Air Force officials unveil new rescue aircraft model

    A new model of an aircraft used in Air Force rescue efforts since 1956 was formally presented to the Air Force in a ceremony April 19 here. The HC-130J Super Hercules combat rescue tanker is configured to provide support to special operations missions and will become a backbone of Moody Air Force

  • Air Force space officials prepare to launch first Minotaur IV

    The first launch of the Minotaur IV Space Launch Vehicle is scheduled to occur April 20 at noon PDT from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The Minotaur IV is the newest variant in the Minotaur family of rockets built by Orbital Sciences Corporation. It is a four-stage solid rocket vehicle consisting

  • New unmanned spacecraft set to launch

    Air Force officials are scheduled to launch the U.S.'s newest and most advanced unmanned re-entry spacecraft April 22 at Cape Canaveral Air Station, Fla.The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle will provide a flexible space test platform to conduct various experiments and allow satellite sensors, subsystems,

  • Cyber Command nominee urges government, private sector cooperation

    Officials in the new U.S. Cyber Command need to strike a balance between protecting military assets and personal privacy, the presidential nominee to lead the command told a Senate committee April 16.Army Lt. Gen. Keith B. Alexander, director of the National Security Agency and chief of Central

  • Lynn details Defense Department's space strategy

    From the commander in chief in the White House to an Airman manning an observation tower on Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, space is the domain that ties them together.Space provides critical capabilities for the Defense Department and the organization must change its space strategy as the

  • KC-135 testing aims at fueling efficiency, cost savings

    Engineers at the Air Force Flight Test Center here are testing a system known as the Automatic Receiver Aircraft Identification, or ARAI.  Currently installed on a test aerial refueler, if the tests are successful, they say, the system will significantly improve air-to-air refueling.The ARAI is

  • Cadets, students 'CANVAS' networks in hacking challenge

    Seventy college and high school students hunted down design and implementation weaknesses for a fictional social networking site during the 2010 Computer and Network Vulnerability Assessment Scenario April 2, here. College students from Colorado State University, the University of Colorado at

  • Airmen support space shuttle launch

    Continental U.S. North American Aerospace Defense Command Region and Air Forces Northern officials provided airspace control and manning support to the successful launch of Space Shuttle Discovery April 5 here.CONR members ensured airspace sovereignty by enforcing the Federal Aviation

  • Radar bound for Bagram will help pilots avoid birds

    A trailer with antennas and wires temporarily parked on base awaiting transit to Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, might not look like much, but it could save the military lives and money when it gets shipped later this spring. The trailer contains a Merlin Aircraft Birdstrike Avoidance Radar System

  • Elmendorf Airmen complete airdrop using 3-D weather technology

    Airmen from Elmendorf Air Force Base completed the first improved container delivery system drop using new 3-D weather technology March 19 over Tin City, Alaska.The new system allows for better drop precision, factors in the altitude, wind speed, wind direction, terrain and other circumstances that

  • Air Force scientists test, develop bio jet fuels

    While the world searches for more efficient ways to fuel automobiles and create usable energy, Air Force scientists are looking for cleaner, more efficient ways to fuel the military's aircraft. An A-10 Thunderbolt II flew March 25 solely on a blend of biomass-derived fuel and conventional JP-8 jet

  • Flight tests set course for improved airborne communication

    A series of early March flight tests has validated a two-and-a-half year effort and set the course for significantly enhanced airborne communications capability.A team of specialists from the Electronic Systems Center, MITRE Corporation and MIT Lincoln Laboratory used a 707 test bed aircraft to

  • Defense official hails effect of unmanned aircraft on warfare

    Perhaps no other weapon platform has more significantly transformed the way the U.S. military wages war in recent years than unmanned aircraft, a senior defense official told Congress March 24 here. Since 2006, operations have grown from about 165,000 hours to more than 550,000 hours annually, said

  • Air Force officials take step toward cleaner fuel, energy independence

    Air Force officials, embracing the national priorities of cleaner fuel and energy independence, took a step toward a greener, energy independent future when an A-10C Thunderbolt II here took to the air March 25 fueled with a blend of Hydrotreated Renewable Jet, or HRJ, and JP-8.This first-ever

  • Air Force officials continue plans to modernize GPS

    Through the years, the Global Positioning System has become one of the most widely-used Air Force applications.Today GPS is used in everything from farming and aviation to public safety, disaster relief and recreation, not to mention its military purpose of providing precision navigation and timing

  • Defense secretary to recommend Navy admiral to head F-35 program

    The Defense secretary will recommend President Barack Obama nominate Navy Vice Adm. David J. Venlet to oversee restructuring of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter program, a Defense Department official told a congressional panel March 24 here. Ashton B. Carter, undersecretary of Defense for

  • First all-engine flight using biomass and conventional jet fuel blend set

    An Air Force test pilot is scheduled to fly an A-10 Thunderbolt II jet aircraft at Eglin Air Force Base March 25 on a blend of biomass-derived and conventional JP-8 jet fuel. This will be the first flight of an aircraft powered solely on a biomass-derived jet fuel blend. The biomass-derived fuel

  • Pentagon officials look to 'phase in' missile defense

    Based on the Pentagon's September 2009 review of U.S. ballistic missile defenses, military officials want to harness technology for a more flexible and adaptive defense architecture, the principal deputy Defense undersecretary for policy said. James N. Miller spoke to an audience of more than 200

  • Missile Defense Review confirms capability's necessity

    Ballistic missile defense has come out of the world of the controversial and improbable and now is in the realm of the accepted and possible, the deputy Defense secretary said March 22 here.Deputy Secretary William J. Lynn III spoke to the 8th Annual U.S. Missile Defense Conference held at the

  • ISR Wing members contribute to the fight

    Members of the 480th Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Wing are assisting coalition forces with the expanding need for ISR data in Southwest Asia by processing, exploiting and disseminating information coming from remotely piloted aircraft.More than 4,100 Airmen, civilians and

  • U.S. Cyber Command preparations under way, general says

    Preparations for the formal establishment of U.S. Cyber Command are under way, a senior military officer here reported to Congress March 16. The formal launch of the new organization is awaiting congressional approval of its commander, according to Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, the commander of U.S.

  • 'Today's Air Force' features military aviation history

    In this edition of "Today's Air Force," help celebrate the 100th anniversary of Lt. Benjamin Foulois' first solo flight and tune in for a look at some of the major aviation milestones from the past century, and the men who achieved them.The 30-minute, weekly news show can be seen every day on The

  • Official announces plans to curb fighter program's cost

    Defense Department officials will require a shift to a fixed-price contract in their negotiations with Lockheed Martin for the initial production phase of the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter, a defense official said here March 15 in a briefing at the Pentagon. Department officials also will

  • Joint fighter faces critical period

    Contracting for the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter, touted as the future backbone of U.S. air superiority, must be brought in line with budget realities to make the aircraft affordable again, a defense official said in March here. Key manufacturing and testing milestones are expected for the

  • Scott youth participate in international robot competition

    "Void turnLeftRotation (int pwr, int rotation)MotorEncoder[motorRight]=0MotorEncoder[motorLeft]=0While(abs(nMotorEncoder [motorRight] Or, in human terms, turn left. But Zippy isn't human, he's a robot, and behind Zippy stands a six-person team consisting of home-schooled high school students, four

  • Cyber Control System launch under way

    Electronic Systems Center program managers are in Virginia the week of March 8 for a contract kick-off meeting on Increment One of the Cyber Control System, after awarding the critical $8.9 million contract to Electronic Data Systems, a Hewlett Packard company, two weeks ago.CCS Increment-1 will

  • Latest issue of Airman magazine available

    In the latest issue of Airman magazine, the "Ghostwalkers," Airmen with a unique mission hone their skills for action outside the wire.Whether they are called to secure a captured airfield or provide force protection in a combat zone, these security forces warriors depend on each other. Intensive

  • 24 cadets receive Academy's first UAS-RPA wings

    Four junior and 20 sophomore U.S. Air Force Academy cadets received the first unmanned aerial systems-remotely piloted aircraft wings awarded in the school's 55-year history during a function at the Dean's Heritage House Feb. 25, here.  Lt. Gen. Mike Gould, the Academy superintendent and Brig. Gen.

  • Lockheed to speed development of F-35

    Defense Department leaders and Lockheed Martin executives explained to international partners changes that have been made in the joint strike fighter program. Ashton B. Carter, the department's undersecretary for acquisition, technology and logistics, and Robert Stevens, the chief operating officer