Daily Report

Jan. 13, 2015

CENTCOM Twitter, YouTube Accounts Hacked

US Central Command’s Twitter and YouTube accounts has been suspended after ISIS sympathizers hacked the site, posting threatening messages to US troops, propaganda videos, and some military documents. One tweet read, “American soldiers, we are coming, watch your back!” The...

SASC Committee Chairs Shuffle Under McCain

With the 114th Congress under way and Republicans in charge of the Senate, leadership slots on the Senate Armed Services Committee’s various panels have changed under SASC Chairman Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Ranking Member Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.). Sen....

IOM: Reservists Were Exposed to Agent Orange

At least some of the 1,500 to 2,100 Air Force Reservists who worked on C-123 aircraft between 1972 and 1982, which were previously used to spray Agent Orange during Operation Ranch Hand in Vietnam, “were exposed” to toxic herbicides and...

Petraeus Reportedly Facing Charges

Retired Army Gen. David Petraeus, the former commander of US Central Command and former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, may be prosecuted for leaking classified information while he led the CIA, according to several reports over the weekend. FBI...

AFCENT Completes Barracks Expansion at Southwest Asia Wing

A recently completed barracks project provides some additional 300 new dorms with 600 bed spaces to support airmen and service members deployed to support Southwest Asia operations, according to an Air Forces Central Command release. The $7.8 million project supports...

Four-Grand Viper Driver

Col. Gregory Jones surpassed 4,000 flying hours in the F-16 fighter during a training sortie from Luke AFB, Ariz., on Jan. 8. “I’ve been lucky in that I’ve consistently been assigned to jobs that included flying the F-16,” Jones said...

MQ-9 Retrofit Contract Awarded

The Air Force awarded General Atomics Aeronautical Systems a $43.3 million contract for retrofit kits for MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft, according to the Pentagon. The retrofit kits include new heavyweight landing gear; newer bomb rack technology for increased safety,...

Researching New Satellite Cooling Technology

The Air Force Research Laboratory is partnering with ThermAvant Technologies LLC, based in Columbia, Mo., to develop a next-generation microchip carrier to enable high-power processors that operate on satellites, according to a Jan. 11 release. The technology “will reduce the...

India’s Stealthy Two-Seaters

Russia agreed to a preliminary design for an export version of its stealthy fifth generation T-50 PAK-FA fighter in cooperation with India, reported the state-run RIA Novosti. “As of now, we and our Indian colleagues have completed the creation of...