Dogfight Over F-22 Reveals DOD Schisms

The battle over how many F-22 Raptors the U.S. Air Force requires is revealing some nasty infighting as the White House administration change nears.

Read more.

USAF Pilot Critiques Red Flag Action

Indian pilots flying Su-30MKIs are extremely professional, but they’re still learning how to best fight with their new aircraft.

Read more.

Hawker Beechcraft Awarded $171 Million Contract for 23 King Air 350ER Turboprops

WICHITA, KS – The United States Air Force (USAF) has awarded Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) a contract with an estimated value of $171 million. The contract is for 23 extended-range (ER) special mission Beechcraft King Air 350ER turboprops. Deliveries will take place in 2009.

Read more.

Boeing, Northrop tanker news

The Boeing Co. announced it was laying off 800 defense workers in Wichita, Kan., due in part to the delay in the U.S. Air Force tanker competition.

Read more.

US Air Force shares skills with Botswana Defense Forces

BOTSWANA – Thirty Ramstein Airmen traveled to the southern region of Africa in early October, 2008 to share their knowledge and experience with counterparts from the Botswana Defense Force (BDF).

The team of U.S. Air Force pilots, navigators, flight engineers, loadmasters and personnel from security forces, supply and public affairs stayed in Botswana four days before continuing on to Cape Town, South Africa, where they participated in an air show.

Read more.

Peer Review For Major Pentagon Programs

The Pentagon is adding another layer of review meant to better protest-proof its major acquisitions, and the first programs set for greater scrutiny are the U.S. Air Force’s $15 billion combat, search and rescue (CSAR-X) helicopter replacement plan and the $35 billion tanker fleet contract award.

Read more.

AFRL Launches Energy-Optimization Program

Northrop Grumman is to lead Boeing and Lockheed Martin in studying energy-optimized aircraft with integrated hybrid-electric system architectures under the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Integrated Vehicle Energy Technology (INVENT) program.

Read more.

USAF Creates Global Strike Command

The U.S. Air Force will stand up a new major command called Global Strike Command devoted strictly to the nuclear enterprise, the service announced Oct. 24 at the Pentagon.

Read more.