The general likely to become the Air Force's next chief of staff told Senators this week that the service's fiscal year 2013 budget was put together using a flawed process and that future budget submissions will solicit more input from state officials and the reserve components.840 words

The Air Force will submit to Congress a new cost baseline for the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program by the end of October as part of the Nunn-McCurdy process.620 words

The Air Force believes an in-house process for determining the service's future force structure, "informed where appropriate" by discussions with the Council of Governors and other state leaders, is preferable to a congressionally appointed commission, according to a senior Air Force official.1155 words

The Air Force may rely on automated vulnerability analysis in the future as increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks will likely push the service toward selectively conducting missions with infected software, according to its chief scientist.628 words

The Air Force's Global Hawk unmanned aircraft will remain in theater until the service can decide how to replace the Block 30 platforms proposed for termination, according to Gen. Mark Welsh, who has been nominated to replace Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz. Welsh told the Senate Armed Services Committee on July 19 that Schwartz has decided that the Air Force will not bring back the Global Hawks from either the Pacific, Europe or Middle East until the service has "a chance to take a look at the mitigation strategy for replacing the lost combat capability."98 words

Prime contractor Boeing is in the process of configuring the sixth Wideband Global Satellite Communications spacecraft for storage and is preparing to insert a hardware upgrade into later satellites, while the Air Force is close to declaring the fourth satellite in the constellation operational in what has been a busy month for the service's WGS program.618 words

In preparation for the delivery and installation of the B-1 bomber's first Integrated Battle Station upgrade kit this fall, Air Force maintenance personnel are spending time at a test base in California observing Boeing's modifications to a B-1 test aircraft, and the company now has 13 production kits on contract.706 words

Boeing is moving closer to starting full-scale fatigue testing on both the B-1 bomber's wing and fuselage, with a test readiness review set for the wing in August and a critical design review on the fuselage scheduled for September.551 words

The Air Force has multiple efforts under way to curtail its fuel expenses in the wake of the "net fuel bill" the service accrued in fiscal year 2012 due to a rise in the cost of fuel and mission demands beyond what the service projected, according to senior service officials.708 words

An Air Force acquisition effort to strengthen the armor plating on the service's C-130H fleet is principally aimed at upgrading the deficient attachment system that binds the armor to the aircraft, according to an Air Force official.541 words

The Pentagon's multimillion-dollar plan to finally buy cockpit voice recorders for V-22 Ospreys, a requirement established by Congress more than a decade ago, puts a fraction of the programmed funding in the department's current budget request and would take years to field the missing, mandatory devices.847 words

The Air Force is seeking industry input to help shape an upcoming solicitation for technology that enables drones to sense and avoid other aircraft, with an eye toward issuing a contract in early 2014, according to a recent notice and a service official.566 words

Emphasizing energy security, materials and microelectronics, the Pentagon this month issued internal guidance to defense officials on how the department plans to use the Rapid Innovation Fund to spur investment and followed up with a related solicitation to industry.318 words

The U.S. Court of Federal Claims is recommending that the Air Force and defense contractors Boeing and the United Launch Alliance resolve a dispute over who should pay for millions of dollars in costs incurred by the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program through alternative dispute resolution rather than slugging it out in court.683 words

The Pentagon is preparing a new policy on trusted systems and networks to counter rising threats to vital U.S. national security data, according to a senior defense official.636 words

The Air Force chief scientist's office plans to release a cyber study in the next month that will forecast future threats, discuss how to mitigate vulnerabilities, and examine what steps are necessary to ensure that the service has a cyber advantage over foreign military forces.615 words

The Joint Requirements Oversight Council is about a month away from approving a new concept for military cyberspace operations in the next decade that could steer major decisions on doctrine and resources, according to the Joint Staff.243 words

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Buck McKeon (R-CA) and strategic forces subcommittee Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) are worried that Iran's ballistic missile capability may pose a more imminent threat to the United States.611 words

The Office of the Secretary of Defense has established a new analytic framework to assess the services' fiscal year 2014 spending proposals and accompanying five-year investment blueprints, creating more than a half-dozen strategic portfolios in a bid to identify capability gaps and potential redundancies.470 words