Airbus, Come On Down

Jan. 5, 2006

Conferees on the 2006 defense authorization bill eliminated a House-inspired “Buy America” provision that would have barred EADS from entering its Airbus aircraft in a USAF tanker competition, according to Associated Press news service. We took note, last summer, of the move by EADS to overcome the provision when it teamed with Northrop Grumman for development and production of the KC-30 as a replacement for USAF’s KC-135. Now, it appears that will not be necessary. President Bush is expected to sign the authorization measure soon.

Related Content

Vice Chief Wilson: Long-Awaited Spectrum Warfare Wing Coming to ACC

Oct. 30, 2020
Air Combat Command will soon be setting up an electromagnetic spectrum warfare wing that will most likely fall under 16th Air Force, Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen W. "Seve" Wilson said in an AFA "Airmen in the Fight" streaming program Oct. 30. The announcement closely follows the Pentagon's release…

Izmir-Based Airmen Unscathed after Earthquake Rocks Turkey, Greece

Oct. 30, 2020
No personnel from the 425th Air Base Squadron at Izmir Air Station, Turkey—a geographically separated unit of Incirlik Air Base's 39th Air Base Wing—were harmed in a 7.0-magnitude earthquake that shook Turkey and Greece on Oct. 30, Wing Commander Col. John B. Creel wrote in a Facebook post the same…

DOD Creates New Top Space Policy Job

Oct. 30, 2020
The Pentagon on Oct. 29 added a new top leadership position to oversee space-related combat policy across the department, as required by lawmakers in the 2020 defense policy bill. The Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy will report to the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, and is responsible for…

Can Space Force Be the First Military Branch Built for Women?

Oct. 30, 2020
For nearly 250 years, the U.S. military has designed its machines, career paths, and uniforms through a male lens. Now, the Space Force has a chance to make history as the only military branch built with women in mind from the start. Female service members say the Space Force can…

Space Force Plans Out of This World Transfer Ceremony for NASA Astronaut

Oct. 30, 2020
The Space Force plans to swear-in NASA Astronaut and Air Force Col. Michael S. Hopkins while he’s aboard the International Space Station as part of the upcoming Crew-1 Mission, a service official confirmed to Air Force Magazine on Oct. 29. Hopkins is slated to command the upcoming mission, which his…

USAF is Closing the Pilot Shortage, But Still Planning for Post-Pandemic Dip

Oct. 30, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the commercial airline industry means Air Force pilot retention—a big problem earlier in the year—is in relatively good shape, but the service still needs to prepare for empty cockpits when the economy comes back. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., speaking…

Military Domestic Violence Reports Didn’t Rise During COVID-19 Pandemic

Oct. 29, 2020
The Defense Department hasn’t seen an increase in domestic violence reports among military families since the new coronavirus crisis began, despite the COVID-19 pandemic reportedly causing a spike in such activity across the globe, the head of the Pentagon’s Office of Military Family Readiness Policy told reporters Oct. 29. However,…

USAF Wants to Drop Cruise Missiles from Airlifters

Oct. 29, 2020
Air Force airlifters are one step closer to becoming bomb trucks after the service awarded Lockheed Martin a $25 million contract to continue developing palletized munitions. The contract, awarded in August and announced this week by the company, includes a demonstration in 2021 to assess the ability of C-130s and…

DOD Strategy Paves New Path for Electronic Warfare

Oct. 29, 2020
The Pentagon on Oct. 29 released a strategy for military use of the electromagnetic spectrum that could ultimately spur the creation of a new combatant command to oversee those operations. The Defense Department has waged war via the electromagnetic spectrum for decades, using aircraft like the E/A-18G Growler and the…