The Defense Department is accelerating weapons integration on the F-35A and plans to outfit the Block 2B -- previously slated to carry no ordnance -- with precision-guided bombs, a move the Joint Strike Fighter joint program office says is part of a plan to "reduce program risk" and allow the early Air Force variant to be rebranded as an "initial warfighting" configuration.1193 words

In an effort to leverage its buying power, the Air Force is conducting a study of its top 30 spending areas to identify lower-cost sourcing options.893 words

The Air Force is working toward a future in which it can expand the cyber warfare training of its Red Flag-Nellis exercises to its Red Flag-Alaska exercises.1128 words

Just two months after issuing three contract awards, the Air Force's Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar program office has already received the results of a wide-ranging trade study meant to help define 3DELRR's requirements, and the program's three prime contractors are working to prepare for a major review late this year.1284 words

The Air Force could pair up with the Navy on a common ballistic missile concept, which if used on the Ohio-class replacement ballistic missile submarine, would aid the Navy in reducing cost, according to Rear Adm. Terry Benedict, the Navy's strategic systems director. At the Naval Submarine League's annual symposium this week, Benedict said the concept was one of several alternatives the services could choose. Benedict recently flew to Barksdale Air Force Base, LA, to discuss collaboration possibilities with the head of Air Force Global Strike Command, Lt. Gen. James Kowalski.93 words

The Air Force and Lockheed Martin recently completed readiness reviews for upcoming fatigue testing on one of the service's most advanced F-16 variants with an expectation that testing will commence in the next two months, according to a company official.429 words

The contractor for the KC-46 tanker has attracted the wary eye of Air Force acquisition officials after spending reserve funds that were set aside for unknown expenses at a faster rate than expected on a series of labs designed to mitigate any risks that might be introduced to the program during the development process.874 words

The Air Force is altering a fiscal year 2012 decision to retire six B-1 bombers and, in order to accommodate the Defense Department's new strategy, will now keep three of the aircraft ready for battle.579 words

A $2 billion contract recently awarded to Boeing for C-17 sustainment will cover all labor activities for the next five years, but the Air Force's existing contract with the company for C-17 materials expires sooner than that, forcing a separate negotiation between the two parties for materials coverage at the back end of that five-year window.1047 words

An Air Force decision to cancel a competition for the F-16 Active Electronically Scanned Array radars and award a sole-source contract to Lockheed Martin instead was geared toward aligning the service's program schedules with those of its partner nations.642 words

The Air Force's top energy official said this week that budget cuts and the possibility of sequestration will likely have little impact on the service's energy programs.530 words

If historical trends hold, the Air Force is likely to opt for interim contractor support on its new fleet of search-and-rescue helicopters rather than signing up to a performance-based logistics arrangement during the aircraft's first years in the fleet, according to a senior Boeing executive.548 words

Air Force officials recently received the go-ahead for their new, consolidated launch and test range contracting strategy and plan to issue a pair of requests for proposals on the project in the next two months.415 words

The Air Force will be taking part in a major missile defense exercise with Israel this month that is geared toward improving the combined capabilities of the two countries.573 words

An Air Force Space Command-directed inquiry into the flawed launch of a Delta IV rocket booster in early October will take about two months to perform its investigation and report its findings to senior leaders.566 words

The Air Force is continuing its efforts to mitigate the impact of volatile fuel prices by reducing flying hours and pursuing more energy-efficient operations, according to the service's energy chief. 527 words

The V-22 Osprey program will await the results of tests and analysis planned for next year before deciding whether to heed the advice of an official report on a fatal Osprey crash and issue pilots guidance on how to recover after flying into another tiltrotor's wake.959 words

The Pentagon is poised to demonstrate a rigid-hull, variable-buoyancy hybrid air vehicle next month amid efforts to develop a concept of operations for the technology.1435 words

An effort to transition an airborne-sense-and-avoid system for drones from science and technology to the acquisition and production phase has been delayed until the winter because technology maturity has been "slower than predicted," according to a service source.251 words

The Pentagon's advanced research arm needs to shift its resources to the future and away from technologies needed for ongoing wars, said the agency's new director, Arati Prabhakar.326 words