The F136 team of General Electric and Rolls-Royce announced Tuesday that it has extended its fixed-price proposal for F-35 joint strike fighter engines with price reductions through 2014, offering to “assume the risk of meeting or beating price targets for...

The South Dakota Air National Guard's 114th Fighter Wing received the first of 22 Block 40 F-16s that will replace its Block 30 models Tuesday, when wing commander Col. Russ Walz flew the aircraft in to Joe Foss Field in Sioux Falls from Hill AFB, Utah. The 114th FW's 175th Fighter Squadron, which has flown the older Block 30 Vipers since 1991, expects to receive the remainder of the newer F-16s by September. Walz said of the switchover, "This aircraft conversion will ensure that the 175th Fighter Squadron remains ready and relevant for many years to come." (Arrival announcement from the South Dakota National Guard's Facebook page, find original announcement under Notes tab; also see 114th FW's March 31 report by Lt. Col. Reid Christopherson)

The Air Force has awarded the Koren Kolligian Jr. Trophy to Lt. Col. Joseph Santucci for safely landing a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft following an in-flight emergency that left him struggling to keep the U-2’s nose up and flying. Santucci, 99th...

Pentagon acquisition chief Ash Carter tasked the Defense Science Board with helping to “enhance adaptability” of the US military. In his April 12 tasking letter, Carter noted successful individual adaptation, like airmen on horseback calling in bomber strikes in the...

The Defense Security Cooperation Agency has notified Congress that India might buy 10 Boeing-built C-17 airlifters under a potential foreign military sales agreement that would include associated equipment—including 45 Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100 engines, parts, and logistical support for a...

USBulgarian Exercise Concludes: Airmen from the 86th Airlift Wing at Ramstein AB, Germany, worked with US Army and Bulgarian forces in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, during the fourth iteration of the tactical airlift/airdrop-oriented Exercise Thracian Spring. The four-day exercise, delayed a week because of the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano, ends today. USAF aircrews and jumpmasters and US Army jumpmasters completed nine sorties, training 360 Bulgarian paratroopers on jumping from a C-130J and completed 513 static line and freefall jumps. Lt. Col. Matthew Wehner, 37th Airlift Squadron deployed commander, said, "We are here to build partnerships while working with our Bulgarian counterparts as we exchange airlift and airdrop tactics and ideas; our trip here is vital to everyone involved." The exercise, he added, enables the Ramstein crews to complete nighttime training requirements, "which is difficult to complete in Germany due to the reduced hours of darkness." (86th AW report by MSgt. Quinton Burris)

Pacific Air Forces has just completed its Cope West bilateral tactical airlift exercise between USAF and Indonesian forces. More than 60 Indonesian jumpers and four USAF airmen parachuted from tactical airlifters each day. The activity also included night flying, something...

In its first week, the Operation Arctic Care team treated some 1,100 medical patients and 900 dental patients, produced nearly 600 prescription eyeglasses, and vaccinated more than 550 dogs. Arctic Care is an annual joint US military medical readiness and...

As promised, John James, the Pentagon's point man for the transition of DOD civilian employees under the now-cancelled National Security Personnel System into the old General Schedule and other non-NSPS systems is moving more quickly than Congress dictated. In an update posted on the transition Web site, James said, "We are ahead of schedule and are maintaining a tight timeframe." He now predicts some 75 percent of the 226,000 NSPS employees will make the switch by the end of September and the remainder in 2011, a year earlier than the Congressional timetable. According to briefing charts accompanying the update, DOD will transition some 59,000 employees through May and another 110,000 through September. That will leave about 56,000 to shift in 2011, many of those going into alternative systems, such as special acquisition and scientific and technology programs. (NSPS transition charts)

Air Sorties in Southwest Asia, April 21, 2010 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 26 42 68 6,809 CAS/Armed Recon 22 77 99 10,280 Airlift 195 195 18,874 Air refueling 50 50 4,716 Rescue 22 22 1,429 Total...