Can Do

Jan. 31, 2007

Munitions specialists at Ramstein AB, Germany saved the Air Force more than $31 million by doing the overhaul of 63 advanced medium range air-to-air missiles themselves. Airmen of the 435th Munitions Squadron worked with Raytheon contract technicians to transfer rocket motors from older AIM-120A AMRAAMs to the newer AIM-120B and C models. It took them three years. As they gained experience, they advanced from completing two a day to six per day.

Related Content

F-35 Is Now the Air Force’s Second Largest Fighter Fleet

May 7, 2021
The F-35A fleet is now the second largest in the Air Force’s inventory, behind the F-16 but surpassing F-15s and A-10s. There are now 283 Joint Strike Fighters in the Air Force’s arsenal, compared to 281 A-10s, 234 F-15C/Ds, and 218 F-15Es. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q.…

Richard Says Nuclear Deterrence Connected to All Other DOD Capabilities

May 7, 2021
If strategic deterrence fails, nothing else will work as intended, U.S. Strategic Command boss Adm. Charles “Chas” A. Richard during a virtual Brookings Institution event on May 7. “Every operational plan in the Department of Defense, and every other capability we have in DOD, rests on the assumption that strategic…

B-52 Demos Hypersonic Missile Kill Chain at Northern Edge Exercise

May 6, 2021
A B-52H bomber launched a simulated AGM-183 Air-launched Rapid Response hypersonic missile at a target some 600 miles away during the ongoing Northern Edge exercise in Alaska, the Air Force said. The simulated shot was a success and demonstrated Airborne Battle Management System techniques to facilitate the kill chain for…

Pentagon Doesn’t Plan to Shoot Down Spent Chinese Booster

May 6, 2021
The Defense Department has no plans to shoot down a spent Chinese Long March 5B rocket booster, which is out of control and could reach Earth's surface after re-entry, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III reported. The U.S. demonstrated an anti-satellite capability in 2008 against one of its own intelligence…

Some B-1s Return to Flight Following Stand Down, Fuel System Inspections

May 6, 2021
The first B-1B Lancers have returned to flight following a grounding more than two weeks ago to inspect issues with the aircraft’s fuel systems. Air Force Global Strike Command announced May 6 that an undisclosed number of the bombers are back to flying after the April 20 stand down order.…

Skyborg Makes First Flight Aboard Kratos Mako

May 5, 2021
The Skyborg software and hardware suite allowing unmanned aircraft to team with crewed ones flew for the first time April 29, the Air Force said, launching a series of experiments meant to prove the safety and effectiveness of the approach.