Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) and Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.) sent a letter to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley on July 10 expressing their appreciation for the service's efforts thus far to ensure the health and safety of F-22 pilots, but also voicing their continued concerns over recent hypoxia-related incidents with Raptor pilots. Specially, they cite a "hypoxia-related in-flight emergency declared by an F-22 pilot" at JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, on July 6; a "restricted airflow" incident at JB Langley-Eustis, Va., in late June; and a mishap at Tyndall AFB, Fla., on May 31 in which an F-22 "reportedly impacted the runway without extending its landing gear." Warner and Kinzinger ask for a briefing within 30 days to get updated information on the aircraft's onboard oxygen-generation system and whether it provides enough oxygen to pilots at higher altitudes while they are sustaining powerful G-forces. They also seek information on the pilot's survival gear, including the upper pressure vest, which has come under scrutiny again of late as potentially restricting the pilot's airflow and possibly contributing to the cases of pilots' disorientation and dizziness.

Army Gen. Keith Alexander, US Cyber Command boss, thinks the United States would be safer if the federal government and private industries developed legal standards of cyber security. Much-contended cyber legislation pending in the Senate would be “absolutely vital to...

Airmen at Spangdahlem AB, Germany, are busily preparing to shift operations to the Air Force Network, the service’s new centrally administered computer network, becoming the first US Air Forces in Europe installation to make the jump, announced base officials on...

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is launching the Integrated Hypersonics program to improve the nation’s understanding of long-range hypersonic flight at up to 20 times the speed of sound and address technical challenges to achieving that. “We do not...

The Defense Department now possesses more operational-coded F-35 strike fighters than test aircraft, announced manufacturer Lockheed Martin on July 10. That’s due to the delivery of four F-35s since June 29 that brought the fleet size to 16 operational airplanes...

An MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted aircraft flew a search and rescue exercise in national airspace for the first time earlier this year, announced Air National Guard officials. During exercise Ardent Sentry, controllers with the Texas Air Guard’s 147th Reconnaissance Wing...

Members of the 603rd Air Control Squadron at Aviano AB, Italy, deployed last week in support of operations in Southwest Asia. This marked the unit’s final deployment before it stands down in spring 2013, stated Aviano officials in a July...

Three Japan Air Self Defense Force pilots are currently undergoing F-16 conversion training with the Arizona Air National Guard’s 162nd Fighter Wing in Tucson. “Not many of our pilots have flown this type of fighter. It’s a real privilege for...

In an effort to cut down on paper waste, C-130 aircrews at Little Rock AFB, Ark., earlier this month received more than 700 iPad 2s as part of an Air Mobility Command initiative to replace flight bags with electronic tablets,...