NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge test last flight

    A team of researchers from the Air Force Research Laboratory, NASA and FlexSys Inc., accomplished a long sought goal in aviation research April 22, with the last flight of the Adaptive Compliant Trailing Edge (ACTE) Flight Research program.

  • Nation honors WWII vets on V-E Day anniversary

    They may move more slowly than they did in 1945, but World War II veterans were out in force at the National World War II Memorial on the National Mall here May 8 to remember their comrades on the 70th anniversary of when the guns stopped in Europe.

  • C-17 fleet celebrates 3M flying hours

    The C-17 Globemaster III has proved again that it remains the world's premier airlifter after the total C-17 fleet celebrated the historical milestone of achieving 3 million flying hours on May 5.

  • Academy wins DARPA challenge

    The U.S. Air Force Academy won the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Innovation Challenge for the second year in a row, Academy officials said May 6.

  • PAF marks milestone, integrates with Air Force AWACS crew

    For the first time in Philippine Air Force history, PAF air battle managers controlled aircraft while airborne by integrating with the U.S. Air Force's 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron as part of exercise Balikatan 2015.

  • Manassas airport hears ‘true sound of freedom’

    There’s no mistaking the sound of four Wright Cyclone 1,200-horsepower engines pulling a B-17 Flying Fortress into the air. The press and local dignitaries watched as two B-17s, a B-24 Liberator and the only remaining airworthy B-29 Superfortress taxied down the ramp at Manassas Regional Airport,

  • Nepal relief airlift expands with deployment of Yokota aircraft

    As U.S. efforts to support the government of Nepal is recovering from the earthquake that struck the country April 25, the 374th Airlift Wing here sent four C-130 Hercules and accompanying personnel to aid Joint Task Force-505 (JTF) in its mission.

  • Ramstein awarded $250,000 for innovation

    Gen. Frank Gorenc, the U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa commander, presented the 86th Airlift Wing here a $250,000 check and the Lt. Gen. William H. Tunner Trophy May 1, for winning the USAFE-AFAFRICA Innovation Madness tournament.

  • USDA dogs sniff out snakes

    With the utilization of 17 active-detector dog teams, 3,400 traps and toxicants, the U.S. Department of Agriculture captured approximately 8,300 brown tree snakes on Guam last year.

  • DOD Lab Day to showcase groundbreaking technologies

    The Air Force Research Laboratory will have a unique opportunity to showcase some of its groundbreaking technologies at the first ever Department of Defense Lab Day to be held at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., May 14.

  • AF celebrates Public Service Recognition Week

    PSRW is a nation-wide campaign to recognize people who serve the nation as federal, state, county and local government employees. It's to highlight their contributions and to say “thank you for your service.”

  • Global Strike maintainers win 2014 AF-level maintenance award

    The men and women of Air Force Global Strike Command's Logistics, Installation and Mission Support Directorate recently earned the 2015 Gen. Wilbur L. Creech Maintenance Excellence Award. The award is given to the major command demonstrating the most improved performance in the category of aircraft

  • Brothers in arms fly together

    Members of the U.S. military oftentimes have relatives that serve alongside them, and this is the case for the Allen brothers, they were recently reunited at exercise Max Thunder 15-1 in South Korea.

  • Luke commander brings home flagship F-35

    The 56th Fighter Wing flagship F-35 Lightning II arrived at Luke Air Force Base April 28, it was the base's 22nd F-35. Flying the aircraft from Lockheed Martin's Forth Worth, Texas, plant to Arizona was Brig. Gen. Scott Pleus, the 56th FW commander.

  • Tech Report: The F-16 Fighting Falcon

    The Air Force Tech Report is a video series that airs every other week and gives viewers a quick look at current technology the Air Force uses to fly, fight and win. This week's report focuses on the F-16 Fighting Falcon, a compact, multi-role fighter aircraft. It is highly maneuverable and has

  • Air Force provides additional support in Nepal

    The Air Force continues its support of the disaster relief operations in Nepal with the arrival of a second C-17 Globemaster III in response to an earthquake that rocked the country April 25.

  • Aircrew flight equipment enables others to succeed

    At any given moment across Southwest Asia, there are aircraft flying in harm’s way to deliver aid, combat air support to friendly forces and launching air strikes against Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant terrorists. None of them can accomplish that without the aircrew flight equipment flight.

  • LA Air Guard deploys to Bulgaria for NATO training exercise

    The Louisiana Air National Guard's 159th Fighter Wing from Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base New Orleans, is participating in a bilateral flying training deployment with the Bulgarian Air Force at Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria, April 16-May 5.

  • Kunsan takes flight at Max Thunder

    Kunsan Air Base Airmen joined other members of U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and South Korean air force units at Gwangju Air Base for exercise Max Thunder 15-1, April 10-24.

  • Joint Warrior: It's what we train for

    They train for air-to-air combat missions, are rapidly deployable, execute worldwide combat search and rescue (CSAR), and sustain operations around the world during both war and peace.

  • AF Test Pilot School applications due in June

    The 2015 Air Force Test Pilot School (TPS) selection board will convene July 20-24 to consider candidates for July 2016 and January 2017 classes. Applications are due to the Air Force Personnel Center by June 5.

  • Jumping into history

    Prior to the launch of the Allied invasion of Normandy, the remarks made by Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Allied Commander, to this day, still carry weight for one of the Soldiers he was addressing.

  • From Colorado to South Korea, 3 generations serving on the peninsula

    Most Airmen arrive at Kunsan Air Base, South Korea, with the expectation of seeing new faces and forming new relationships at the start of their yearlong unaccompanied tour. But for a father and son of the Colorado Air National Guard, when they stepped onto the Korean Peninsula, they continued a

  • AF realigns B-1, LRS-B under Air Force Global Strike Command

    The Secretary and Chief of Staff of the Air Force have directed the realignment of the Air Force’s B-1 bomber fleets and Long Range Strike-Bomber program from Air Combat Command to Air Force Global Strike Command, effective Oct. 1.

  • Gunfighter Flag 15-2: Bringing deployments home

    Airmen from the 366th Fighter Wing and the 266th Range Squadron teamed up with Sailors, Marines and Army National Guardsmen for combat training scenarios during Gunfighter Flag 15-2 at Mountain Home Air Force Base, Idaho.

  • Eglin Airman participates in adaptive camp

    Two years after complications from a massive stroke that forced Senior Airman Chris Fugitt to retire from the Air Force, his warrior spirit enabled him to power past a number of debilitating setbacks, to the point where he attended his first adaptive sports and rehabilitation camp here this week.

  • Periodic inspection: Just what the ‘tanker doc’ ordered

    For more than 40 years, KC-135 Stratotankers have been flying over the sunflower state, and just like any other crew member, they need their "check-ups" too. Keeping the 60-year-old planes up-to-date and safe to fly takes more than a simple check-up; it takes a team of tanker "docs" ensuring each

  • Airman aims high for the future

    Since early childhood, Air National Guard Staff Sgt. Kimberly Daugherty has admired service members, especially those who fly. The shiny wings displayed on their uniforms instilled in her a sense of wonder. When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she always responded with the same answer:

  • Husband, wife tackle first deployment together, support bomber presence

    B-52H Stratofortress teams have been rotating to Andersen Air Force Base for the last 11 years to maintain the U.S. Pacific Command's continuous bomber presence (CBP). Hundreds of Airmen deploy every six months to support this mission that strengthens regional security and stability of the

  • What it takes to be a boom operator

    Boom operators on an Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker have the ability to pump thousands of pounds of fuel to any capable aircraft, thousands of feet above the ground, flying at 200 knots, all while only 47 feet from colliding into each other. However, before any of this is possible, they had to go

  • WWII veteran reunites with former aircraft

    World War II veteran, retired Lt. Col. Alston "Al" Daniels, reunited with the aircraft he piloted for nearly 2,000 hours on April 7. Daniels gleefully walked up the steps to a Douglas C-47D Skytrain cockpit for the first time since 1962.

  • AF report to Congress: Pursues retention of C-130Js at Keesler

    As part of a required Air Force report to Congress on the C-130 Hercules force structure, the Secretary of the Air Force released a force structure amendment pursuing the retention of 10 Air Force Reserve Command C-130J aircraft at Keesler Air Force Base.

  • F-35 program ‘on right track,’ director says

    Despite its numerous setbacks, the F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter program is on the right track to meet aircraft delivery deadlines, the program’s executive officer told a House Armed Services Committee panel April 14.

  • US Cyber Command chief discusses importance of operations

    Cyber is an operational domain, and military leaders are going to have to understand its importance and the opportunities and challenges of operating in the domain, said Navy Adm. Michael S. Rogers during the Navy League’s 50th annual Sea-Air-Space Exposition at the National Harbor, Maryland, April

  • AF announces KC-46A candidate bases

    Air Force officials announced April 14 that Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma; Seymour-Johnson AFB, North Carolina; Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts; and Grissom ARB, Indiana are candidate bases for the first Air Force Reserve-led KC-46A Pegasus location.

  • Eielson AFB retains aggressor mission

    Air Force officials announced April 14 that Eielson Air Force Base will retain the 18th Aggressor Squadron and its assigned 18 F-16 Fighting Falcon aggressor aircraft.

  • Weather Airmen help ensure flight safety

    Airmen of the 31st Operations Support Squadron’s weather flight provide information on atmospheric conditions that may impact the pilots operating in the skies, deliver staff support to the 31st Fighter Wing and act as a liaison to the 21st Operational Weather Squadron for 24/7 base resource

  • AF Reserve celebrates 67 years of service

    For many Airmen, April 14 will be just another Tuesday, but to members of the Air Force Reserve it will be a day to reflect on how each and every one contributes to the Air Force mission.

  • Referees of the airfield

    What does it take to support multiple U.S. and coalition aircraft on a 12,012-foot runway while keeping safety as the primary concern 24-hours a day, seven days a week?Airmen of airfield operations, composed of airfield management and air traffic control, ensure safe air and ground operations for

  • Local solutions yield DOD-level award

    The Precision Attack System Program Office here, in partnership with Lockheed Martin, has been awarded the 2014 Secretary of Defense Performance Based Logistics Award, at the sub-system level, for its solutions in delivering support of the Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod.

  • Second runway increases Bagram capability

    After months of planning and construction, the wing expanded its ability to support flying missions throughout the region with the addition of a second operational runway. The ancillary runway provides an alternate site for aircraft taking off and landing should the primary runway be damaged or

  • CSAF describes Air Force of the future

    In the future, the Air Force’s core missions will probably not change, but the way they are carried out will, said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III on April 8.

  • Ready, set, retrograde

    As the United States seeks to lessen its footprint at locations across Southwest Asia, the word retrograde has been on the lips of Department of Defense decision-makers for months. When applied to military operations in Afghanistan, retrograde, which is defined as having a backward motion or

  • Largest Kadena flying exercise successfully completed

    Kadena Air Base pulled off their most aggressive exercise to date with Forceful Tiger off the coast of Okinawa, April 1.Forceful Tiger was a large force exercise (LFE) designed to demonstrate the 18th Wing's combat capabilities to defend Okinawa and had more participation from the 909th Air

  • Redeyes fly in Korean skies

    More than 200 Airmen and several F-16 Fighting Falcons from the Colorado Air National Guard’s 140th Wing have been deployed at Kunsan Air Base since February as part of a of a rotational theater security package (TSP).

  • Generating airpower with hydraulics

    The 35th Maintenance Squadron's hydraulics systems back shop maintains F-16 Fighting Falcon’s hydro systems, including landing gear systems, brakes and flight controls.

  • AFMS follows aviation lead to high reliability

    Over many years, the Air Force aviation community's concept of high reliability has evolved from one of expected losses to today's culture of safety, where fatal losses rarely occur.Now, following in the footsteps of aviators and nuclear engineers, the Air Force Medical Service is adopting the

  • Child’s dream turned pilot’s reality

    Since he was a child, Capt. Kenneth Jubb has chased a dream to one day fly, and now as a pilot he relives his childhood fantasy every time he takes to the air.

  • SERE training prepares aircrew for the worst

    Tech. Sgts. Jeffrey Ray and Michael Garcia, both are survival, evasion, resistance and escape (SERE) specialists with the 15th Operational Support Squadron, ensure all flight crews assigned to the 15th Wing at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, are prepared to handle emergency situations by

  • DARPA uses open systems to boost airpower

    The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is unveiling a new program to boost U.S. air superiority by separating payloads such as weapons and sensors from the main air platform, and using open-system architectures to seamlessly integrate plug-and-fly modules into any kind of platform.

  • Reaper maintainers ensure ISR mission accomplishment

    Supporting the largest Reaper unit in the Air Force, Airmen assigned to the 451st Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Squadron work 24 hours a day to ensure the Reaper fleet is fully operational and ready to launch at a moment’s notice.

  • Piecing together the bigger picture

    Airmen with the Expeditionary Air Control Squadron (EACS), also known as “Kingpin,” provide the information needed for completion of the Air Tasking Order, a 24-hour planning document that assigns specific aircraft to specific missions.

  • CSAF thanks RPA Airmen, highlights mission importance

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III and his wife, Betty, visited the Airmen of the 432nd Wing/432nd Air Expeditionary Wing to discuss the importance of the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) mission during their visit March 24.

  • Air advisors reduce mid-air risks

    Many Afghan helicopter pilots have years of flying experience, so when 19 hazardous traffic reports were recorded in January and February at Jalalabad; Train, Assist, Advise Command (TAAC) air advisors were not only surprised but concerned, and knew the issue had to be addressed immediately.

  • Future of combat aviation requires funding

    Senior leaders from the Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps testified on the future programs and platforms of combat aviation forces, and budget needs, in a hearing with the House Armed Services Committee March 27.

  • McConnell community marks B-29 rollout

    One of more than the 1,600 B-29 Superfortresses assembled in Wichita, was delivered to the Army Air Forces on March 23, 1944, and that very same aircraft was "delivered" again on March 23, 2015, in commemoration of its restoration during a ceremony at McConnell Air Force Base.

  • F-35 Lightning II costs drop, report shows

    A recent account of F-35 Lightning II aircraft program costs shows decreases, the Air Force’s F-35 program executive officer told reporters in a media roundtable March 24, 2015.

  • U.S. air advisors reach milestone with Colombian air force

    Members of the 571st Mobility Support Advisory Squadron (MSAS), from Travis Air Force Base, finalized their training with members of the Colombian air force while observing their performance of an airdrop mission near Bogota, Colombia, March 4, 2015.

  • Doolittle Tokyo Raiders to receive Congressional Gold Medal

    Seventy-three years ago, 80 men achieved the unimaginable when they took off from an aircraft carrier on a top secret mission to bomb Japan. These men, led by Lt. Col. James H. "Jimmy" Doolittle, came to be known as the Doolittle Tokyo Raiders.

  • Senator receives shadow box in honor of brother

    Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James presented a shadow box to Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, March 20, in honor of his brother, Cpl. Jesse Hatch, who died Feb. 7, 1945, during World War II.

  • BEAR Base saves money, supports mission

    The Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resources (BEAR) Base at Holloman Air Force Base recently saved the Air Force more than $5 million in assets through recovery and refurbishment of deployed electrical distribution equipment.

  • First Luke F-35 student takes to the sky

    The 56th Fighter Wing officially began training new F-35 Lightning II pilots when the first student, Brig. Gen. Scott Pleus, the commander of the 56th Fighter Wing, flew the wing's first training sortie March 18.

  • NCO banishes mountain of paperwork to the PIT

    As years of logbooks and paper records stacked up in the 436th Airlift Wing Non-destructive Inspection lab, they needed to find a way to improve both their record logging system and their efficiency.Leadership knew they had a young, computer savvy Airman and they turned to him for the answer.

  • Aero India 15 showcases India, US partnership

    From Feb. 18 through 22, more than 95 U.S. military personnel and Defense Department civilians were among the thousands assembled from around the globe to participate in Aero India 2015, the region's largest tradeshow.

  • Service members involved in UH-60 crash identified

    It is with a heavy heart that the U.S. Marine Corps Forces, U.S. Special Operations Command and the Louisiana National Guard formally announced the names of the seven Marines and four Soldiers who died in an Army UH-60 Black Hawk crash near Eglin Air Force Base, at approximately 8:30 p.m., March 10.

  • Lakenheath Airman rescues allies, earns Airman's Medal

    Staff Sgt. Greggory Swarz, a 492nd Aircraft Maintenance Unit electrical environmental systems specialist, was awarded the Airman's Medal for saving the lives of three French airmen after a Hellenic air force F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed into the parking ramp at Los Llanos Air Base, Spain, during

  • Combating common enemies

    Picture yourself as the aircrew of a military aircraft, dealing with an unfortunate situation that forces you to eject behind enemy lines. In order to survive, you must evade the enemy all while communicating with the appropriate personnel to be rescued.To train for this type of situation in a

  • AF announces 23 AFSCs on reenlistment bonus list

    Enlisted Airmen in 23 Air Force specialty codes may be eligible to receive a selective reenlistment bonus (SRB) effective March 12, Air Force officials announced March 12.The Air Force is moving forward with a higher end-strength, so AFSCs eligible for the SRB program will increase to address

  • Alaska air guardsmen rescue snowmachiner

    Airmen with the Alaska Air National Guard's 210th, 211th and 212th Rescue Squadrons rescued a 65-year-old man who was injured while snowmachining near the Tanana River, approximately 24 miles southwest of Fairbanks, March 8.