|
Data Points
February 18, 2010—A dramatic rise in CAS and ISR sorties and airdrops in Afghanistan is testament to heightened operations. |
|
|
In More Depth
Living in the BreachPentagon officials are already acting as if the F-35 program has breached Nunn-McCurdy. Looking AheadBarring further disruption, KC-X tankers should be operating around 2017. |
|
|
The Document File
Annual Report to the President and Congress Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense 2005 Report Annual Report to the President and Congress
Donald Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense 2004 Report |
|
|
Testimony
March 11, 2010
Maj. Gen. C.D. Moore Acting F-35 PEO Senate Armed Services Written testimony March 11, 2010Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr. Cmdr., NORAD & USNORTHCOM Senate Armed Services Written testimony March 11, 2010
Gen. Douglas M. Fraser Cmdr., USSOUTHCOM Senate Armed Services Written testimony |
|
|
|
Daily ReportTuesday March 16, 2010
MOP Testing Advances:  The Air Force plans to conduct its first flight test of the 30,000-pound massive ordnance penetrator before the end of the month under an initiative that aims to field the huge bunker-buster munition as soon as possible. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency led a MOP technology demonstration that concluded in January with the fifth and final test drop of the bomb from a B-52H bomber, a Pentagon spokeswoman told the Daily Report. The Air Force now intends to integrate MOP on the B-2A. Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz told a House oversight panel last week that the Pentagon has had "mixed results" to date in test drops of the MOP. Despite that, they said they are "closely monitoring" MOP's progress and "future successes likely will result in a reprogramming request to accelerate its development in Fiscal 2010." Continue Hello Undersecretary: Erin Conaton was sworn in Monday as undersecretary of the Air Force, filling a post vacant since August 2007. "This is a great day for the Air Force," said Secretary Michael Donley. He added, "Erin will be a tremendous asset. Her extensive congressional background, coupled with her experience on national security matters, will enable her to be an outstanding champion for our airmen." Conaton comes to the Air Force from the House Armed Services Committee where she served since 2007 as staff director. President Obama nominated her back in November 2009. The Senate confirmed her nomination on March 4. "I am extremely honored and humbled by this opportunity to serve with the tremendous men and women of the Air Force," said Conaton. She added that she resolves to be "a leader who reflects the core values of this great institution." (SAF/PA report by MSgt. Russell Petcoff) C-17s Eyed for Ohio: If Congress grants the Air Force's request to retire 17 C-5A transports in Fiscal 2011, Air Force Reserve Command's 445th Airlift Wing at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, would be one of the units to shed its C-5s and transition to new C-17 airlifters, AFRC has announced. The command said the Air Force leadership approved this move on March 12. Under the plan, the 445th AW would retire five of its 10 C-5As in Fiscal 2011 and then the remaining five in Fiscal 2012. It would receive four C-17s in Fiscal 2011 and then another four in Fiscal 2012 to complete the changeover. The Air Force is hoping that Congress will rescind its prohibition on retiring any C-5As so that it may get rid of excess strategic airlift capacity that drains funds from other USAF priorities. One Air National Guard unit would also switch to C-17s. (AFRC release) Airey Honored at Andrews:  Airmen past and present, including five former Chief Master Sergeants of the Air Force, gathered at JB Andrews, Md., on March 10 to dedicate the street and new house where the current CMSAF resides in honor of Paul Airey, first CMSAF, who died March 11, 2009. "It's fitting that we dedicate this beautiful home to Chief Airey," said Lt. Gen. William Shelton, assistant vice chief of staff. He added, "He was a pioneer, a tireless champion of our Air Force." The residence, now called Airey House, contains items from former CMSAFs that now serve as historical artifacts. CMSAF James Roy said: "From this day forward, when airmen come to these quarters, they will see a snapshot of our enlisted heritage and one of our greatest enlisted leaders." Airey's son, retired CMSgt. Dale Airey, thanked everyone on behalf of the Airey family. (Andrews report by Chelsea Gitzen) Predator Mishap: An MQ-1 Predator remotely piloted aircraft crashed in Southern Afghanistan March 14, according to Air Forces Central. The crash was not due to hostile fire, but, as is the practice, a board will be convened to investigate the incident to determine the cause. AFCENT said the crash site had been secured and there were no reports of injuries or property damage. (AFCENT release) Make That Two: An RC-135 Rivet Joint electronic surveillance aircraft in service since 1962 surpassed 50,000 flight hours during a mission over Afghanistan March 4, becoming the second Rivet Joint in the Air Force's inventory to reach this milestone. The first Rivet Joint hit this mark in March 2008. "With only 17 of them in inventory—and about 25 percent of the fleet here [in Southwest Asia]—it is an indication of how valuable an asset the RJ is to operations," said Lt. Col. Richard Linehan, 763rd Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron commander, from an air base in the region. One of many examples demonstrating the importance of the RC-135 to supporting ground troops took place in February during the Afghan-led Operation Moshtarak in southern Afghanistan when intelligence provided by an RC-135 thwarted an insurgent plan to ambush US helicopters, said Linehan. (379th AEW report by SSgt. Kelly White) Adieu, Old Friend: After 47 years of service, a C-130E transport assigned to Little Rock AFB, Ark., has been retired from service after recently completing its final combat mission in Iraq, an airdrop sortie delivering pallets of supplies. This aircraft, with tail number 9813, reached 33,220 flight hours. "To see this one go, especially since it is a good flyer, it is a sad day," said Capt. Bradley Allen, 777th Expeditionary Aircraft Maintenance Unit officer in charge at Joint Base Balad, Iraq. And a good machine it truly was. In 2007, for example, it had no open maintenance issues for the entire year and was rated a perfect aircraft; ready for flight. This C-130E will be placed in storage with the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz. (Balad report by A1C Allison M. Boehm) Taking a Breather: After 26 years of use and 13,409 flight hours, the first F108-100 engine delivered to the Air Force for a KC-135R tanker has been removed from service to undergo its first refurbishment. "It was impressive that it ran this long without repair, but everything wears out eventually," said Capt. Jacob Sullivan of the 22nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at McConnell AFB, Kan. The engine had been on a KC-135R with McConnell's 22nd Air Refueling Wing. The aircraft had completed two missions on March 1 and was being prepared for a third when maintainers noticed that blades on the engine's turbofan had become unlatched and could not be successfully relatched. The engine was then removed on March 3 for transport to the Air Force depot at Tinker AFB, Okla. The repairs at Tinker may take from six to eight months. (McConnell report by SrA. Abigail Klein) Air Sorties in Southwest Asia, March 9-10, 2010
| Sortie Type |
OIF |
OEF |
OIF/OEF |
Total |
YTD |
| ISR |
46 |
74 |
|
120 |
4,021 |
| CAS/Armed Recon |
42 |
160 |
|
202 |
6,158 |
| Airlift |
|
|
342 |
342 |
11,104 |
| Air refueling |
|
|
93 |
93 |
2,853 |
| Rescue |
|
|
35 |
35 |
175 |
| Total |
|
|
|
792 |
24,311 |
OIF=Operation Iraqi Freedom
OEF=Operation Enduring Freedom
ISR=Intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance
YTD = Year to Date
Airlift includes Horn of Africa data
Note: Data for all coalition sorties, except airlift and rescue, which are USAF only |
|
|
|
|
Verbatim
Preemptive Action
"Since the [Defense] Department's acceptance of the independent estimates last fall, we've been, in just about every respect, acting as if the program were in a Nunn-McCurdy breach. ... We've been taking all of the mitigating and corrective action that we would take as if there were a Nunn-McCurdy breach."
—Air Force Secretary Michael Donley, discussing with reporters the restructure of the F-35 strike fighter program announced in February 2010 and the probability that the program will soon exceed Nunn-McCurdy cost-monitoring thresholds that would necessitate, per US law, a program review and corrective steps, Washington, D.C., March 2, 2010. |
|
Verbatim
Message for Grandma
"She has working for her as a citizen in the United States an Air Force Reserve that has some very talented, capable, patriotic, and willing individuals doing the business to keep this nation free. Just like her generation—the 'Greatest Generation'—was, I am very proud of the folks that we have got. If not the second greatest, then they are an extension of the greatest generation and they are ready, willing, and able to do the things that she would want them to do to make sure we keep our freedoms."
—Lt. Gen. Charles Stenner, Air Force Reserve chief, responding to a reporter's question on what the reporter should tell his 85-year-old grandmother to convey to her the importance of Air Force Reservists to the nation's security, Orlando, Fla., Feb. 19, 2010.
|
|
|