Daily Report

Aug. 19, 2013

B-1 Crashes in Montana, Crew Ejects

A B-1 bomber assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth, S.D., crashed on Monday near Broadus, Mont., during a routine training mission, announced the wing. All four crewmembers—two pilots, two weapon systems operators—safely ejected with some injuries, states the...

F-35 Schoolhouse Completes 2,000th Sortie

The F-35 schoolhouse at Eglin AFB, Fla., last week completed its 2,000th training sortie since flight operations commenced there with the Air Force’s F-35A model in March 2012. Marine Corps Maj. Adam Levine, instructor pilot with Marine Fighter Attack Training...

Ground Broken on Compass Call Training Facility

Construction began last week at Davis-Monthan, AFB, Ariz., on the new academic training facility for the 55th Electronic Combat Group, which operates EC-130H communications-jamming aircraft. Officials broke ground on the $78 million complex on Aug. 15, according to the base’s...

DOD Announces Initiatives to Combat Sexual Assaults

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel last week unveiled seven initiatives to enhance the Defense Department’s efforts to combat sexual assault in the ranks. These measures, which build upon measures that Hagel announced in May, aim to “improve victim support, strengthen pretrial...

Moody’s Second HC-130J Arrives

The second brand-new HC-130J combat rescue aircraft destined for service with the 347th Rescue Group at Moody AFB, Ga., last week touched down at the base, announced the company. A Moody crew on Aug, 14 ferried this factory-fresh HC-130J from...

C-17s Test Fuel-Saving Formation over Pacific

Data from a recent C-17 test of the Surfing Aircraft Vortices for Energy, or $AVE, concept validated the fuel-savings potential of this formation-flying approach, announced Air Mobility Command. In mid-July, two C-17s flew back and forth from Edwards AFB, Calif.,...

NATO Steps up Training

Starting on Aug. 25, NATO will begin Exercise Brilliant Arrow in central Norway, the first in a series of four training events scheduled through the end of the year to stress the readiness and interoperability of the NATO Response Force,...

Consortia Established for PTSD and TBI Research

The Defense Department and Veterans Affairs Department established two consortia to research the diagnosis and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder and mild traumatic brain injury over a five-year period, announced the Pentagon. The Consortium to Alleviate PTSD is a collaborative...

Declassified CIA Document Released on U-2, Oxcart

George Washington University’s National Security Archive last week released a redacted, declassified 1992 CIA document on the history of the U-2 and Oxcart reconnaissance aircraft programs that includes “a significant amount” of never-before-publicized details on them, according to the archive....

Navy Advances UCLASS Development

The Navy last week awarded contracts to the four companies maturing their respective remotely piloted aircraft designs under the service’s Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike system program. Boeing, General Atomics, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman each received a...