Senate appropriators have recommended increasing funding for procurement of the Air Force's F-22 backup oxygen system and continued operations of the C-27 and other aircraft, while cutting money from a handful of the service's marquee space programs because of contracting efficiencies on those acquisitions, as part of their fiscal year 2013 defense-spending bill made public Aug. 2.838 words

The Air Force has already accepted six retired Marine Corps UH-1N helicopters and plans to take on an additional 20 between now and fiscal year 2014, but only three of the total incoming fleet of 26 will be "operationalized," according to an official from Air Force Global Strike Command.1284 words

An Air Force analysis of alternatives that will decide how to best proceed with the service's Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System program hinges on pairing a fourth-generation radar on a business jet, an acquisition decision that defense contractors are calling "expensive" when compared to other options available to the Air Force.872 words

The Air Force will seek Pentagon permission this fall to launch a major acquisition program to replace its aging fleet of T-38 aircraft after fiscal belt-tightening last year prompted the service to delay its plans for fielding a replacement trainer aircraft from 2017 to 2020.523 words

The Air Force as a whole, and the Joint Strike Fighter program specifically, took giant steps toward acquiring new leadership on Aug. 2. That day, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) lifted his hold on Gen. Mark Welsh's nomination, clearing the way for Welsh to take over as Air Force Chief of Staff. Cornyn had placed that hold over concern about the service's sexual assault scandal in Texas. And Air Force Maj. Gen. Christopher Bogdan will soon pin on a third star and fill the hot seat as the Joint Strike Fighter's program executive officer, marking Bogdan's second promotion in less than a year.103 words

Training and proficiency flights for the Air National Guard's C-27J aircraft are still on hold as the Air Force tries to deduce what went awry during a July 3 training sortie.615 words

The Air Force's next-generation Global Positioning System and its associated ground terminal will go through their first joint exercise later this month in an important test of the connection between Raytheon's GPS operational control segment and Lockheed Martin's GPS III simulator.969 words

A vocal member of the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee says that in dealing with sequestration, Congress should avoid following the footsteps of the Air Force.919 words

The Air Force's fourth Wideband Global Satellite Communications satellite has completed on-orbit testing and is in its operating position over the Indian Ocean region, and the satellite is now awaiting acceptance from U.S. Strategic Command to be declared operational.893 words

The Air Force this week put Boeing on contract to produce a 10th and final wideband communications satellite that will provide the service with enhanced wideband capability at a significantly lower cost than previous satellites in the same constellation, according to service and industry officials.845 words

Air Force officials are close to completing a plan designed to provide a central guidance and vision to their Live, Virtual, Constructive-Operational Training efforts. 520 words

The Defense Department's Inspector General this month released a fairly positive review of Air Force Global Strike Command's first three years in operation, commending many efficiencies in command relationships and noting additional opportunities to make more effective use of resources. 585 words

The Senate Appropriations Committee has approved the funding necessary for the Air Force to take a one-year strategic pause on its planned force-structure adjustment, a move consistent with what the committee's House counterparts have done.761 words

Air Force officials confirmed this week that the service's F-35A Pilot Training Center will be housed at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, a decision that was widely expected but required a drawn-out environmental evaluation before it could be formally announced.639 words

Air Force officials believe they have identified a valve on the "G Suit" worn by F-22 pilots that has contributed to breathing problems for some, contending that the "vast majority" of the 11 most recently unexplained incidents in the aircraft can be attributed to the valve.806 words

The Pentagon has set aside a proposal to further expand its small fleet of Air Force EC-130H Compass Call aircraft as part of the fiscal year 2014 spending proposal, citing the planned drawdown of forces from Afghanistan, budget constrains and the time needed to convert a cargo plane into an electronic warfare platform.696 words

Five members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence criticized cuts to commercial satellite imagery programs in the report accompanying the panel's fiscal year 2013 authorization bill.524 words

A new deal to include Israeli-made electronic warfare equipment on F-35 Joint Strike Fighters that the country plans to buy is part of a U.S. effort to ensure Israel retains its military edge in the region, according to a senior State Department official.460 words

A handful of senators have filed a bill Thursday that proposes incentives for reaching audit-readiness deadlines and consequences for missing them -- including blocking major weapons in development from starting procurement.1340 words

A recent Air Force report delivered to Congress that highlights cost growth and technical issues associated with the service's Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System program has Northrop Grumman executives talking about the initiatives they have taken to shave down the cost of the program over the past few years.677 words

The Pentagon's fiscal year 2014 budget process could mark the end of the Marine Corps' investment in the Air Force's Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar (3DELRR) program, but the Marines are continuing to fund development of a Northrop Grumman radar vying to fill the Air Force's requirement.664 words

In an effort to control costs, Defense Department space programs ought to look into using private launch providers such as the California-based SpaceX, according to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.563 words