Just before dawn a Taliban force, employing suicide bombers, rocket-propelled grenades, and small arms attacked Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, killing one contractor and wounding nine servicemembers over an eight-hour firefight, according to various news reports. The US and NATO response...

The National Aeronautics Association selected four airmen who comprised Pedro 16 of the 129th Expeditionary Rescue Squadron at Kandahar Airfield, Afghanistan, for the 2009 MacKay Trophy, recognizing the year’s most meritorious flight. The airmen, members of the 33rd Rescue Squadron...

The full House Armed Services Committee in its markup of the 2011 defense authorization bill Wednesday provided funding to continue development of the General Electric-Rolls Royce F136 engine, the so-called alternate engine for the F-35 strike fighter. Despite the threat...

In marking up the 2011 defense authorization bill Wednesday, the House Armed Services Committee opted to follow the lead of its personnel panel in tacking on another 0.5 percent to the Administration’s requested 1.4 percent military pay boost. Committee chairman...

A new study issued by the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessment this week challenges the Pentagon for its lack of attention to the “deteriorating” condition of the Western Pacific military balance. The authors, including CSBA president and long-time defense...

The Air Force’s latest force restructuring plan includes establishing a reserve component formal training unit at Little Rock AFB, Ark., to take over C-130H2 training from the active duty 62nd Airlift Squadron—part of a C-130 compromise USAF worked with the...

The Pentagon announced May 18 that Northrop Grumman has received three contracts for RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle work, totaling more than $600 million. And, May 19, Northrop announced it would open an office in Grand Forks, N.D., to support assignment of RQ-4 operations to Grand Forks Air Force Base. The new contracts cover two Block 30 and two Block 40 air vehicles; two in-line airborne signals intelligence payloads (ASIP) and three ASIP retrofit kits; and advance procurement funds for vehicles, ASIPs, two multi-platform radar technology insertion program sensors, and other items. Earlier this week, Northrop received a $50 million contract for an interim repair line for the Global Hawk. Along with opening its new Grand Forks office, Northrop plans to present a $25,000 grant to the University of North Dakota, the first school to offer a bachelor's degree in unmanned aircraft system operations.

Enlisted recruiting and retention data just released by the Pentagon shows a successful month in April for each of the military services and their reserve components. (Note: Navy data is preliminary or unavailable because Navy Personnel Command took down some...

Reporting Wednesday’s markup of the 2011 defense bill by his House Armed Services Committee, chairman Ike Skelton (D-Mo.) noted, “You won’t find any mention of the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT).” The reason, he said, is that he...

Air Sorties in Southwest Asia, May 13, 2010 Sortie Type OIF OEF OIF/OEF Total YTD ISR 21 50 71 8,313 CAS/Armed Recon 16 83 99 12,413 Airlift 169 169 22,737 Air refueling 51 51 5,734 Rescue 21 21 2,079 Total...