At a Senate Appropriations defense panel hearing last week, Gen. Craig McKinley, National Guard Bureau Chief, acknowledged that increasing budgetary pressures over the next five years will lead to a “budgetary crisis” in equipping the National Guard. In fact, he...

The Air National Guard currently has 10 units flying Block 30 F-16s that Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt, ANG director, told lawmakers last week will age out by 2017. (See above, Air Guard Aircraft Crisis Nears) Those 10 units fly a...

Key lawmakers last week sent letters to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley over USAF's plan to transfer 12 Air National Guard C-130 airlifters to the active duty formal training unit at Little Rock AFB, Ark. Co-chairs of the powerful National Guard Caucus, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and Sen. Kit Bond (R-Mo.) wrote that this is "a troubling move in what appears to be a consistent trend" to reduce the number of ANG aircraft "without substantive or even any consultation" with Guard leadership. During a Senate Appropriations defense panel hearing March 25, Bond noted that the "scheme" would "eliminate the only flying unit in the Puerto Rican Air Guard, the unit everyone praised for its response to and support of Haiti" and called the C-130 action a "backdoor BRAC." At the hearing, Gen. Craig McKinley, National Guard Bureau Chief, acknowledged he wasn't consulted, so asked USAF to revisit the matter. (Bond-Leahy letter and Bond release) (Also sending letter, West Virginia Democrats Sen. Robert Byrd—release—and Sen. Jay Rockefeller—release)

The Air Force and Army have reached an agreement on employment and disposition of the new C-27J Joint Cargo Aircraft, Gen. Norton Schwartz told lawmakers last week. The Air Force Chief of Staff said he had just talked with his...

Gen. Norton Schwartz, USAF Chief of Staff, told lawmakers last week that the report destined for Congress “shortly” (see above Getting “Comfortable” with JCA) would also address the C-27 vs. C-130 employment issue. He acknowledged that US Central Command had...

The delays the Pentagon now has put into play for the early production of the F-35 strike fighter variants will not slow the standup of the joint schoolhouse at Eglin AFB, Fla., according to testimony by Gen. Norton Schwartz, Air...

The Air Force is on course to increase the number of remotely piloted vehicle combat orbits from today’s 41 to 50 by the end of 2011—a year earlier than DOD’s original goal when top leaders asked USAF to speed their...

At a House Appropriations subcommittee hearing last week, Gen. Norton Schwartz, Chief of Staff, acknowledged that USAF 2011 budget request accepts “some risk” in trying to balance financing new mission construction and replacing substandard housing. The service currently has roughly...

Air Sorties in Southwest Asia, March 23, 2010 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 25 37 62 4,867 CAS/Armed Recon 20 83 103 7,391 Airlift 196 196 13,462 Air refueling 47 47 3,398 Rescue 33 33 533 Total...