Secretary of the Air Force Deborah Lee James said the Air Force “may have even gone too far” with its end strength reductions, and is seeking a modest upward adjustment in the Active Duty, Air Guard, and Reserves to “plug...
Sequester would force changes in the national strategy, but Air Force leaders aren’t yet ready to go there. Under Budget Control Act spending levels, the strategy—“to be able to defeat one adversary, deny a second adversary, and defend the homeland...
The Air Force is going to conduct a review of its process to certify new space launch vehicle providers to carry military and intelligence community satellites into orbit, announced Secretary Deborah Lee James in her State of the Air Force...
Explaining the thinking behind calling an all-service close air support summit at Nellis AFB, Nev., in March, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said Friday, “We just have to get to a point where all the services understand what the...
Air Combat Command “has been focused … for a while” on how it maintains the close air support culture as it transitions from the A-10 to the F-35, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh said Feb. 13 at AFA’s Air...
Critics of the Air Force’s plan to retire the A-10, who say the F-35 is simply not an adequate platform for the close air support mission, are ignoring the Marine Corps’ huge endorsement of it, Chief of Staff Gen. Mark...
The Air Force anticipates having the plan in place soon to ensure it has enough maintainers on hand for the F-35A strike fighter to meet the stealth jet’s projected in-service date around August 2016, said service Secretary Deborah Lee James....
The Air Force likely will not be able to place a total of 36 A-10s in backup status as Congress authorized in Fiscal 2015, said Secretary Deborah Lee James. Instead, it will probably have to make do with moving a...
Despite additional demands from ongoing combat operations in Operation Inherent Resolve and other missions, Air Mobility Command boss Gen. Darren McDew said Feb. 13 he is confident in the requirements plan to accept a bit more risk in the intra...
Discussion is underway to submit a B-52 re-engining proposal to Air Force leadership within the “next few months,” commander of Air Force Global Strike Command Lt. Gen. Stephen Wilson said at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando. AFGSC put together...
The Air Force is shifting its thinking about space as a warfighting domain. Air Force Space Command boss Gen. John Hyten said during AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando last week, that while the barriers to access in space help...
Though the Air Force has continually reinforced its commitment to eliminating its reliance on the Russian-made RD-180 engine for space launches, Air Force Space Command boss Gen. John Hyten said he is not confident the process towards finding a replacement...
The Air Force does not intend to remove its F-15E Strike Eagles from RAF Lakenheath, Britain, after the F-35A strike fighter begins operating from there next decade, said Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in...
Lt. Gen. Bradley Heithold, head of Air Force Special Operations Command, continues to advocate for building an attrition reserve for the CV-22 fleet by acquiring up to four additional aircraft beyond the current program of record for 50. AFSOC has...
Air Combat Command’s annual Weapons and Tactics Conference brought some 600 participants to Nellis AFB, Nev., in January, and generated some 68 proposals for tactics improvement for the combat air forces, said a panel of weapons officers Thursday at AFA’s...
Virtual and constructive training will increasingly be the path the Air Force must go down in order to train for high-end advanced threats, Air Combat Command boss Gen. Hawk Carlisle said Feb. 13. Speaking during AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in...
Reservists will play a key part in the Air Force’s commitment to ramping up its cyber and ISR operations in Fiscal 2015 and beyond, Air Force Reserve chief Lt. Gen. JJ Jackson told an audience at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium...
Data assurance will be crucial not only to the global strike mission, but to activities across the combat air forces, said the heads of several Air Force major commands on Thursday at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando. “We are...
The Air Force must adjust tactics and training for dealing with personnel recovery missions in areas where access is challenged, said Maj. Michael Kingry, assistant director of operations with the 34th Weapons Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nev., at AFA’s Air...
Analysts envision quick, seamless information sharing from sensors through to the weapons employed as the next overwhelming US advantage against its adversaries in combat, according to a Feb. 13 panel at AFA’s Air Warfare Symposium in Orlando. The analysts see...
