DefenceTalkAt a recent House Armed Services Committee hearing, Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch, a deputy in the Air Force’s acquisitions office, fielded a question from Guam Representative Madeleine Bordallo about the decision to use a riskier cost-plus contract rather than a fixed-price contract for the development phase of what is now being called the B-21 bomber. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/business-as-usual-building-new-usaf-b-21-bomber-67106/

DefenceTalkThe F-35A Lightning II program took another step toward initial operational capability yesterday when two aircraft assigned to the 62nd Fighter Squadron successfully employed four laser-guided bombs on the Barry M. Goldwater Range. This marked the first weapons release by F-35s assigned to the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base. “Yesterday we were […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35as-drop-first-laser-guided-bombs-67091/

DefenceTalkBAE Systems has been selected to provide critical survivability and situational awareness technology for the U.S. Air Force’s HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter. The company will supply its Identification Friend or Foe technology known as the AN/DPX-7 Reduced Size Transponder (RST) and its Common Missile Warning System (CMWS). These contracts mark the first time that a […]https://www.defencetalk.com/missile-warning-and-friend-or-foe-systems-to-protect-us-combat-rescue-helicopters-67009/

DefenceTalkThe Boeing test team successfully completed the first flight of the program’s second KC-46A tanker aircraft yesterday, taking off from Paine Field and landing later at Boeing Field in Seattle. During the flight, Boeing test pilots performed operational checks on engines, flight controls and environmental systems. “Adding a second tanker to the flight test program […]https://www.defencetalk.com/second-boeing-u-s-air-force-kc-46a-tanker-completes-first-flight-66940/

DefenceTalkAirmen from the 388th and 419th fighter wings dropped laser-guided bombs at the Utah Test and Training Range the week of Feb. 25, marking the first time an F-35 Lightning II combat unit has deployed weapons from the F-35A. Lt. Col. George Watkins, the 34th Fighter Squadron commander, said dropping weapons from the F-35 allows […]https://www.defencetalk.com/hill-afb-f-35s-drop-first-weapons-66892/

DefenceTalkThe Air Force presented its fiscal year 2017 president’s budget request Feb. 9 following the Defense Department and sister services’ budget briefings. Maj. Gen. Jim Martin, the Air Force budget director, presented the service’s budget request and said the fiscal 2017 budget request supports the defense strategy, resources combatant commander requirements, continues readiness recovery from […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-air-force-presents-fiscal-year-2017-budget-66694/

DefenceTalkBoeing and U.S. Air Force aircrews successfully completed the KC-46A tanker’s first refueling flight today in the skies above Washington state. Following takeoff from Boeing Field in Seattle, the KC-46A test team worked through a series of test points before smoothly offloading 1,600 pounds of fuel to an F-16 fighter aircraft flying at 20,000 feet. […]https://www.defencetalk.com/boeing-us-air-force-make-history-with-first-kc-46a-tanker-refueling-flight-66546/

DefenceTalkPeterson Air Force Base: A major milestone was achieved on 7 January 2016 when the Air Force Intranet Control (AFINC) Weapon System became the first cyberspace weapon system to reach FOC status. Achieving FOC means the AFINC weapon system is fully capable to serve as the top-level defensive boundary and entry point for all network […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-air-force-says-first-cyberspace-weapon-system-fully-operational-66525/

DefenceTalkLos Angeles: An F-16 fighter jet crashed Thursday in the southwestern state of Arizona, the US Air Force said, adding a search and rescue mission for the pilot was ongoing. “The cause of the crash is unknown at this time,” the Air Force said in a statement, adding the incident had occurred at 8:45 am […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-f-16-jet-crashes-in-arizona-status-of-pilot-unknown-66505/

DefenceTalkHANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE: Communication is key. And for the Air Force’s Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft, its communication component is one of four major areas undergoing a combined multi-billion dollar recapitalization. Since JSTARS’s introduction in 1991, Air Force command posts, Army mobile ground stations and many airborne platforms have come to rely […]https://www.defencetalk.com/recapitalizing-jstars-the-communication-system-66365/