If the world strategic situation dictates a more capable US Air Force than the Fiscal 2010 budget maps out, the Air Force would have ways to cope, but they would require more money, service chief of staff Gen. Norton Schwartz...

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said June 11 he sees the nuclear triad of bombers, ICBMs, and submarine-launched ballistic missiles as a continuing requirement, even if nuclear warhead inventory levels drop sharply in the START follow-on talks...

The in-progress mobility capabilities requirements study, due to report out in the next few months, will probably not present “a major departure” from the mobility levels determined in the last such study that was posited on the needs of the...

In the wake of an ongoing contractor strike at Vance AFB, Okla., the Air Force has decided to temporarily transfer 33 students and instructor pilots from Vance to Randolph and Laughlin Air Force Bases in Texas. They will resume training Monday at their new locations, according to an Air Force statement released Friday evening. The strike by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Local Lodge 898 against CSC Applied Technologies LLC has stopped work on aircraft maintenance and other mission-critical services, effectively placing on hold for the past week flying training for some 500 Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and allied pilots at Vance. In the statement, Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said, “I take this issue very seriously and urge all parties to quickly resolve this dispute, as it is impacting our ability to produce pilots in a time of war.” In a June 9 statement, Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) expressed concern that a potential transfer of students “could have dire consequences for the future of Vance.” He emphasized, too, that like many lawmakers he wonders if “outsourcing to contractors has gone too far.” The CSC contract is up for review this fall. In a June 11 joint statement with the state’s Congressional delegation, Inhofe said that a recent visit to Enid convinced him that there are legitimate complaints on both sides, but he said, “None of the issues I heard were impassable.” He and the other Oklahoma lawmakers worried that the strike also would adversely affect the workers and the community of Enid, particularly in this still shaky economy, but feared long-term implications for the base if it cannot quickly resume pilot training. They urged creation of a 30-day bridge contract to allow workers to return to work as negotiations continue. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said: "Our state has never experienced a base closure. Our top priority should be to make sure that Vance remains open and active."

Defense Secretary Robert Gates has identified his choice as the next head of the National Reconnaissance Office, appointing retired Air Force Gen. Bruce Carlson to that critical post. As required, Gates sought and received the concurrence of the Director of...

The Air Force has made four primary changes to its physical fitness program based on the decisions that came out of the Corona Top leadership summit earlier this month at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, Lt. Gen. Richard Newton, USAF’s point man...

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) issued a press release last week praising the Missile Defense Agency and its industry partners on the latest Airborne Laser test. He said, "The ABL continues to make history," in this case, when its lasers, compensating for atmospheric conditions, tracked a boosting missile and remained "locked on target for an extended period of time." He called ABL's progress "more important than ever" given North Korea's continuing provocative stance. Defense Secretary Robert Gates relegated the ABL program to a research and development effort only, telling Congress no defense official believes its current form is a viable concept. Responding to Brownback's praise, Mike Rinn, Boeing vice president and ABL program director, issued a June 12 statement: "This is the first time in history anyone has actively tracked a boosting missile with a laser while closing atmospheric compensation loops. This was done at significant ranges and for many times longer than would be required to kill the missile had the high-energy laser been used." He added that more tests would "fine-tune the pointing accuracy and performance." Rinn called the June 6 test "a major step toward conducting this year's missile-intercept test."

The Air Force has awarded a Bronze Star medal to Capt. Blair Byrem for his meritorious service while deployed to Afghanistan for six months as an electronic warfare officer for the US Army. Byrem is a maintenance operations officer with...

Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman have each received contracts from the Air Force to sustain and modernize the service’s A-10 Warthog fleet. The indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contracts have a total ceiling of up to $1.6 billion. Under the four-year...

We just learned that Ellen Lawson, the widow of Tokyo Raider pilot Ted Lawson, passed away Feb. 5, 2009, at the age of 89, at her home in Chico, Calif. Ted, who died in 1992, was the author of the...

Air Sorties in War on Terrorism, Southwest AsiaJune 10, 2009 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 23 20 43 6,539 CAS/Armed Recon 23 59 82 15,678 Airlift 140 140 21,976 Air refueling 42 42 7,257 Total 307 51,450...