PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, CO -- The Defense Department has finished conducting a study involving a number of different organizations that looked into how to best provide overhead persistent infrared capabilities in future years. At the same time, the Air Force is working through integration testing that should lead to the service's first Space-Based Infrared System satellite being declared operational in the coming months.782 words

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, CO -- Two Air Force officials involved in defining the path forward for the Global Positioning System III program told Inside the Air Force this week that the service is confident its first GPS III satellite will be available for launch in 2015 as scheduled, but they said the overall GPS launch schedule is extremely flexible because of the quality and availability of capable earlier-block GPS satellites that are yet to be put into orbit.862 words

Representatives from Boeing and Lockheed Martin both confirmed they submitted bids in time for last week's Aug. 27 deadline on a sustainment contract for the Air Force's Global Positioning System satellite constellation's ground segment. 476 words

The Air Force's extended range variant of the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile has successfully completed operational testing within the past few days, according to a service spokesman.394 words

The Air Force announced yesterday that an Air Combat Command Accident Investigation Board report shows that an F-16C Falcon fighter jet experienced engine failure prior to crashing at the Utah Test and Training Range earlier this year. At the time of the accident, the pilot -- who was not injured -- was conducting a close-air-support training mission in a two-ship formation during an operational readiness exercise. A cracked blade cause the damage, the report shows. The board believes the crack was formed during the manufacturing process and remained undetected during inspection.94 words

Air Force technicians have recently implemented a tool that is making the service's switch to a robust new computer system more efficient.493 words

Boeing and the Air Force will be consolidating three contracts that support Active Electronically Scanned Array radars on the service's F-15 fighter jet fleet with a single performance-based logistics (PBL) contract.587 words

Raytheon officially found out this week that it will get another chance to compete with Boeing for the role of prime contractor on the Family of Advanced Beyond-Line-of-Sight Terminals program, as the Air Force announced its plans to award Raytheon an alternate contract for FAB-T.626 words

A Materiel Development Decision on the Air Force's Weather Satellite Follow-on program scheduled for August has, once again, been delayed.228 words

The Global Positioning System III program's two main contractors, satellite manufacturer Lockheed Martin and ground station provider Raytheon, said this week that they successfully completed the first GPS III exercise meant to test the connection between the two systems in late August.488 words

General Atomics will be installing new landing gear and upgrading the weapons on the Air Force's MQ-9 Reaper unmanned aircraft fleet over the next four years, according to a recently awarded contract. 586 words

The Air Force is switching support for its Sniper Advanced Targeting Pods from Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, OH, to Robins Air Force Base, GA, now that production of the pods are complete, and has awarded Lockheed Martin a five-year contract to continue the sustainment of those pods.389 words

A request for proposals for the Air Force's Space Fence program should be released on or before Sept. 19, according to a document the service released this week.356 words

The next few months will be "very challenging" for the Defense Department as it works to develop its fiscal year 2014 long-term investment blueprint amid uncertainty about its FY-13 budget submission to Congress, Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall said Wednesday.986 words

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, CO -- Pentagon officials recently completed an analysis of alternatives that looked at a variety of possible future capabilities for the Global Positioning System III program, an effort that could lead to an updated set of requirements for later GPS III satellites.623 words

Pentagon acquisition chief Frank Kendall said Wednesday he would have had a "difficult" time providing Nunn-McCurdy recertification to the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program had he not also decided to take over milestone decision authority for the effort.248 words

The deputy defense secretary has reestablished the Strategic Choices Group to help guide key decisions about the military's fiscal year 2014 spending plan, forming -- for the second year in a row -- a high-level body to debate issues affecting weapons programs, force structure and policy initiatives needed to implement the Obama administration's Strategic Defense Guidance.749 words

The Defense Department has advised Congress of a six-month schedule slip to Raytheon's Joint Precision Approach and Landing System program due to a delay in the planned integration of the new capability on the aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush (CVN-77).562 words