Inside the Air Force

AAC Launches Effort To Gain Better Knowledge Of Industry's Weapons R&D

As the Air Force prepares to update its 30-year munition roadmaps, the Air Armament Center has launched an industry outreach program in an attempt to get a better read on the progress of a company's internal weapon development projects that could potentially fill critical focus areas and gaps, according to service officials and contractors.

Afghan Light-Attack Plane Competition To Culminate With Major Flyoff

The Air Force plans to pit light-attack planes head-to-head when evaluating bids for the new turboprop that will become the nascent Afghan air force's first fixed-wing, strike aircraft, according to recently released Pentagon documents.

Two-Star: Concern Mounts Over Timeliness Of Aircraft Simulator Updates

An Air Force official is concerned about the time it takes to update training simulators to incorporate critical equipment upgrades commonly installed on the service's diverse fleet of aircraft, thus creating a gap that has become problematic and needs to be addressed.

Air Force Re-Prioritization Adds Money To Nuclear Mission In FY-12 POM

Air Force officials have re-prioritized hundreds of millions of dollars within the service's internal six-year spending plan to fund high-priority nuclear missions, according to a senior service official.

That's Enough

The Defense Department will only base 59 multiservice F-35 Joint Strike Fighters at Eglin Air Force Base, FL, the Pentagon announced this week. "The Air Force has completed its initial analysis of a full range of alternatives and determined that basing 59 F-35s at Eglin's main base is the preferred alternative," Kathleen Ferguson, Air Force deputy assistant secretary for installations, said in a July 28 statement. The Defense Department initially planned to base more than 100 multiservice F-35s at Eglin, which will serve as the U.S. and international JSF school house.

House Appropriations Subcommittee Funds F-35 Second Engine Program

The House Appropriations defense subcommittee this week voted to include funding for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter alternate engine program, continuing the game of chicken between Capitol Hill and the White House, which has threatened to veto any legislation that includes money for the propulsion effort.

Lawmakers Align $2 Million For Eight-Bladed Propellers For ANG LC-130s

Two New York lawmakers have aligned $2 million that would allow the Air National Guard to begin installing eight-bladed propellers on its ski-equipped LC-130 cargo haulers that are used to ferry scientists to snow-covered Antarctica.

DOD To Approve Production For Next Phase Of Major Satellite Program

The Defense Department's acquisition directorate is poised to bless the start of production for the next phase of a major Pentagon satellite program.

Industrial Development Lags For Micro-Displays, Hinders Technology

An Air Force Research Laboratory official would like to see more private investment in micro-displays that would allow the systems to display better quality images at higher resolutions.

Expanding The Envelope

Lockheed's Management Practices To Face Scrutiny In March Review

The Lockheed Martin division that builds the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, which for years has broken key Pentagon management rules, will be scrutinized again in March by defense officials seeking improvement in the company's management score.

Lambert: Efficiencies Push To Shape SSBN(X) And Future JSF Blocks

The Defense Department's big push for efficiencies will shape the costly SSBN(X) nuclear ballistic missile submarine program and future blocks of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, according to Pentagon industrial policy chief Brett Lambert.

Independent QDR Panel: Increase Size Of Navy, Strengthen Procurement

A bipartisan independent review of the Obama administration's 20-year blueprint for the Defense Department calls for increasing the size of the Navy to a 346-ship fleet and increasing the U.S. military's posture in the Western Pacific to counter China's growing influence in the region, according to a report of the Independent Quadrennial Defense Review Panel.

ONR Meets With Industry For Long-Term Cargo UAS Program In Mid-2010s

The Office of Naval Research met with industry last week to discuss establishing a program of record for a Navy cargo unmanned aerial system by the middle of the decade, and a Marine Corps official said a successful deployment of an immediate cargo UAS system could lead to exploding demand across the services.

Making Headlines This Week

Both Camps In JSF Engine Debate See Support In QDR Panel Testimony

The co-chairmen of a high-profile advisory panel, commissioned by Congress to prepare an independent assessment of the latest Quadrennial Defense Review, declined to wade into the debate between Congress and the Pentagon over the need for a second Joint Strike Fighter engine but strongly endorsed competition in situations where two potential suppliers would "get prices down."