Daily Report

June 20, 2013

Obama Calls for Further Nuke Cuts in Berlin

President Obama called for further nuclear cuts during a speech before thousands at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate on June 19. Obama said a completed review of US nuclear forces has determined it can guarantee the potency of the country’s nuclear deterrent...

Rusty USAF Pilots Need Workup for Syria

The Syrian air defense threat is strenuous, and if the Air Force was tasked to establish a no-fly zone there, it would represent a risk to rusty pilots, USAF Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh told reporters on June 17....

From One Generation to the Next

Le Bourget, France The fifth generation F-35 strike fighter is on pace to cost the equivalent of fourth generation fighters, Steve O’Bryan, Lockheed Martin vice president for F-35 program integration, told reporters here on Wednesday. “We are on a path...

Downward Slope

Le Bourget, France Pratt & Whitney and its suppliers drove out 40 percent of the cost of the F135 engine between delivery of the first production-representative unit in 2009 and the end of 2012, and company President David Hess said...

Piecing Together the Assembly Team

Le Bourget, France Mitsubishi Heavy Industries will begin standing up a final assembly and checkout facility in Japan for the F-35 strike fighter under a newly concluded contract, said Steve O’Bryan, Lockheed Martin vice president for F-35 program integration, here...

Dempsey Visits Minot

Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made his first visit to Minot AFB, N.D., a little over a month after the Air Force relieved 19 of the base’s missile control officers of their authority to...

Spang Squadron Furls Flag

The Air Force officially inactivated the 81st Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem AB, Germany, on June 18, bringing an end to the squadron’s 71 year history, states an Air Force release. “The 81st Fighter Squadron piloted many of the most iconic...

Military Personnel Respond to Colorado Wildfires

As wildfires ravaged through the Black Forest, northeast of Colorado Springs, Colo., this past week, military personnel and assets have been on the scene to help contain the massive flames. At least 150 Colorado National Guard members, 10 firefighters and...

New Plan Addresses VA Claims Backlog

A 10-point plan addressing the Veterans Affairs claims backlog was unveiled on June 18 by Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.), chairwoman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. The plan is to be included in the Fiscal 2014 Military Construction, VA, and...