New Bomber Details

By John A. Tirpak
The Pentagon is “really, really close” to awarding a contract for the Long-Range Strike Bomber, Air Force acquisition chief William LaPlante said Wednesday, as he provided reporters with a preview of the kinds of information that will be released when...

Canada to Pull Out of Anti-ISIS Fight

By Arie Church
Canada’s newly elected Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Wednesday he will pull Canadian combat aircraft out of the coalition fight against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. Trudeau told President Obama that Canada “would continue to engage in a responsible...

Two Predators Supporting OIR Crash

By Jennifer Hlad
Two Predator drones crashed in separate incidents, one in southern Turkey and one in Iraq, military officials said Wednesday. One MQ-1 was flying a mission in support of Operation Inherent Resolve when it experienced a mechanical failure just after 9:30...

A-10 Deployment “Normal Rotation”

By Brian W. Everstine
The deployment of 12 A-10s to Incirlik AB, Turkey, is part of a normal rotation to support the operation, and does not signify any “adjustment to the tactical situation,” according to the coalition. Army Col. Steve Warren, spokesman for Combined...

The Meter is Running

By John A. Tirpak
The Air Force is already six months past its forecast of announcing a winner of the Long-Range Strike Bomber contract, and while the service crosses its T’s and dots its I’s, contractors have been spending money keeping their design teams...

Keep It Rapid

By John A. Tirpak
The Pentagon’s Rapid Capabilities Office (RCO) has managed the Long-Range Strike Bomber since its 2011 inception, and will continue to do so after the contract is awarded, USAF acquisition chief William LaPlante told reporters Wednesday. Giving background on the program...

Russia’s Strikes Spur Syrian Advances

By Brian W. Everstine
Russia has conducted 140 strikes in Syria, targeting areas that do not include large amounts of ISIS fighters and appear to almost exclusively support Syrian regime fighters, according to the US-led coalition. Russian airstrikes, which reportedly have included cluster bombs...

McCain Slams USAF for OCX Delays

By Jennifer Hlad
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is blasting the Air Force for the delays and cost growth of its ground-based satellite control system. The system, known as OCX, is a critical part of the Air Force’s next...

Advanced Viper’s Maiden Flight

By Arie Church
Lockheed Martin’s new advanced F-16V Viper took to the skies on its initial flight from the company’s production facilities at Fort Worth, Texas, Oct. 16, the company announced. “This flight marks a historic milestone in the evolution of the F-16,”...

Minuteman III Tested from Vandenberg

By Arie Church
Missileers from F. E. Warren AFB, Wyo., conducted an operational test launch of a Minuteman III ICBM from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., early Wednesday morning. The randomly selected missile pulled from an operational 90th Missile Wing launch facility successfully lofted an...