News from the Air Force

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Avionics Upgrade Nears Finish Line:

Work is under way at Travis AFB, Calif., to modernize the avionics on the last three of the Air Force's C-5 Galaxy airlifters. Air Force and Lockheed Martin officials expect to complete these activities next May. Once upgraded, these three C-5As will join the West Virginia Air National Guard's 167th Airlift Wing in Martinsburg. They were formerly assigned to Air Force Reserve Command's 445th AW at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, which is transitioning to the C-17. Lockheed began upgrading C-5 cockpits in 2004 under the C-5 Avionics Modernization Program. This upgrade adds a new all-weather flight control system and autopilot as well as a new communications suite, flat-panel displays, and an enhanced navigation and safety system. It also incorporates two integrated datalink systems in the cockpit, according to Lynn Rollin, C-5 AMP project manager with Travis' 60th Maintenance Group. (Travis report by Merrie Schilter-Lowe)

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Chinese Fighter Pursues U-2 over Taiwan Strait:

A Chinese Su-27 fighter reportedly crossed the centerline of the Taiwan Strait—the unofficial dividing line between communist China and democratic Taiwan—in pursuit of a U-2 reconnaissance aircraft late last month. The Washington Times reported Monday that the U-2, staging from Kadena AB, Japan, was flying over the international waters of the Strait on a routine recon mission on June 29 when the Chinese sent two Su-27s after it. One Su-27 turned back before reaching the dividing line, but the other kept going. Alerted to the approaching fighters, the U-2 pilot reportedly cut short his mission and headed home. The pursuing Su-27 turned back after two Taiwanese F-16s scrambled after it, according to the accounts. The incident occurred less than two weeks before Joint Chiefs Chairman Adm. Mike Mullen made an official visit to Beijing to continue promoting improved US-Chinese military-to-military ties. (Bloomberg report) (Focus Taiwan report)

U2



SU-27

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Hawg Pilot for the Day:

Seven-year-old Michael Castillo, accompanied by several family members, toured Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., as an honorary A-10 pilot and participant in the Pilot for a Day program. This initiative gives local children with illnesses an enjoyable day completely devoted to them and their interest in aviation. Michael received his very own personalized flightsuit. Escorted by Capt. Aaron Celusta, an A-10 flier assigned to the 357th Fighter Squadron, Michael got a pilot briefing and toured the squadron. He then visited the base fire department and rode in a fire truck. Next, he checked out A-10 and HC-130 static displays, and then spent time with the base's combat search and rescue unit. He also flew in an A-10 simulator, went up in the air traffic control tower, and saw a military working dog demonstration during his June 24 visit. (Davis-Monthan report by A1C Jerilyn Quintanilla)

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Minuteman Missile Malfunctions in Flight Test:

An unarmed Minuteman III ICBM experienced an anomaly during an operational flight test Wednesday from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., forcing testers to destroy it for safety reasons over the Pacific Ocean, announced officials with Vandy's 30th Space Wing. "Established parameters were exceeded, and controllers sent destruct commands," said Col. Matthew Carroll, 30th SW chief of safety. "We plan for situations like this and everything was executed according to the plan." Test controllers launched the missile at 3:06 a.m. West Coast time; after detecting the anomaly, they terminated the flight as the missile was over a broad ocean area, northeast of Roi-Namur, a part of the Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands. An Air Force team will investigate the anomaly's cause. The Air Force routinely conducts these operational test flights from Vandenberg to Kwajalein to ensure the Minuteman's reliability and accuracy.

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Soaring Performance at Edwards:

The 445th Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB, Calif., put the Air Force Academy's new TG-16A sailplane through a rigorous set of safety and performance flights this month over the California desert. "This is the first time we've taken it to the corners of the envelope and really put it through its paces," said squadron commander Lt. Col. Jason Schott. The testers successfully completed aerobatic, maneuvering, stability, and high-cross-wind landing tests with the high-performance glider over the course of the flight activities. "The glider has been handling well with no significant areas of concern," said test pilot Maj. Andrew Martin. With the flights at Edwards now complete, testers are currently evaluating the sailplane at the academy in Colorado Springs, Colo. They expect to finish those flights in early August. The academy is acquiring 19 TG-16s to replace its aging TG-10B and TG-10C gliders in aerobatic training roles. Germany's DG Flugzeugbau manufactures the TG-16. (Edwards report by Kenji Thuloweit)

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New C-17 Gets Special Name:

Air Force and Boeing officials dedicated the service's newest C-17 to recipients of the US military's highest decoration, unveiling Spirit of the Medal of Honor in a ceremony at JB Lewis McChord, Wash. "Whenever this C-17 flying the insignia of the Spirit of the Medal of Honor lands, the spirit of America's bravest will land with it, bringing hope, saving lives, and preserving peace," said Robert Ciesla, Boeing's C-17 program manager, during Tuesday's dedication ceremony. MOH recipients retired Air Force Col. Joe Jackson and retired Army Col. Bruce Crandall assisted Ciesla and Air Mobility Command boss Gen. Raymond Johns in unveiling the title and honorific appliqué above the aircraft's crew-entry door. Dedicated at AMC's Air Mobility Rodeo 2011, Boeing delivered this C-17 (tail no. 99211) earlier this month, according to the company's release. (Includes Lewis-McChord report by A1C Michael Battles)

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The First Thing We Cut:

Electronic warfare isn't as obviously constituent-serving as programs that sustain production of ships, airplanes, and vehicles, but needs robust investment and advocacy, said Rep. Rick Larsen (D-Wash.) Thursday. "In times of peace, electronic warfare is the first thing we cut," he stated at the Lexington Institute-sponsored EW seminar on Capitol Hill. Larsen, a House Armed Services Committee member, said each service "needs a general" to be such an advocate to keep up the pressure to fund EW when finances get tight. The challenge is that electronic warfare is one of the fastest moving threat areas, but the hardware in which the Pentagon invests "will be around for decades," he said. Larsen noted that Navy EA-18G Growlers, in their first combat action, "flew over 700 combat missions" in the region of Libya this year. "Demand remains high" for all EW assets in all theaters, he said. Lexington's Daniel Goure said demand for the Growlers "is clearly going to exceed supply." If there are fewer F-35s to help out with electronic warfare, "stress on the Growlers will go up," he said.

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Second SBIRS Satellite Completes Key Ground Test:

The Air Force's second Space Based Infrared Systems geosynchronous satellite, GEO-2, successfully completed its baseline integrated system test recently at prime contractor Lockheed Martin's facility in Sunnyvale, Calif., announced USAF officials. During these tests, engineers evaluated the satellite and its components to ensure that they properly operated as a total system. "The successful completion of this milestone is indicative of the team's increasing level of expertise leveraging our successful GEO-1 integration campaign," said Col. Scott Larrimore, SBIRS space division chief. "We are well on our way to delivering the second SBIRS GEO satellite." GEO-1 is the Air Force's first SBIRS geosynchronous satellite. The Air Force and its industry partners placed it in orbit on May 7. That satellite is now undergoing on-orbit testing. Next up for GEO-2 is environmental testing to determine the flight worthiness of the satellite in the space environment. Its launch is slated for next year

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Vigilant Eagle, Take Two:

NORAD and the Russian air force will conduct their second cooperative Vigilant Eagle air defense exercise starting Sunday, announced US and Canadian officials. As with the first-ever Vigilant Eagle held last August, the three-day exercise will focus on both sides cooperatively responding to a mock hijacked airliner traversing US and Russian airspace in Alaska and the Russian Far East. US and Russian fighters will practice intercepting and shadowing the airliner over their territories and then handing off control of the airliner to the other side as the airliner approaches the other's airspace. Along with the fighters, airborne warning and control aircraft and tankers from both sides will participate, as will US, Canadian, and Russian personnel in military air operations centers at JB Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and Khabarovsk, Russia. Just last week, Army Lt. Gen. Charles Jacoby, nominee to be the next NORAD and US Northern Command boss, told lawmakers that he favors such exchange with the Russia.

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Israel Considers Doubling F-35 Buy:

The Israeli air force is considering a multi-year procurement plan to acquire another 20 F-35 strike fighters, a move that would potentially allow the Mideast nation to have 40 F-35s on hand by decade's end, reports the Jerusalem Post. Israel signed an agreement with the United States last fall to procure a first order of 20 F-35s through a foreign military sale with an estimated value of $2.75 billion. Israel is expected to receive its first F-35s from that order from manufacturer Lockheed Martin in late 2016 or early 2017. Depending on the timing of a second order, the Israelis might be able to have two operational squadrons of 20 airplanes each in place by 2020, according to the Post. The Congress has approved the sale of up to 75 F-35s to Israel. (See also Used USAF F-15s for Israel?)

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Operation Shady RAT:

A leading computer security company has traced 72 cyber attacks on international government organizations and corporations over the last five years to a single server. Forty-nine of the attacks were against US organizations, including 12 US defense contractors and one US satellite company, according to the McAfee white paper, released Wednesday. McAfee Vice President of Threat Research Dmitri Alperovitch, who authored the paper, did not specifically name the hacker, but said it was potentially a "state actor." Some cyber experts believe China was the culprit because of the number of attacks centered on Taiwan and Olympic organizations leading up to the 2008 Beijing Games, reported Reuters. Alperovitch dubbed McAfee's investigation "Operation Shady RAT." The acronym stands for remote access tool. Last month, Deputy Defense Secretary Bill Lynn said the Pentagon might have to redesign a weapon system due to a cyber intrusion, presumably by a foreign intelligence service, against a defense contractor in March.

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Record-Setting Edwards Test Pilot Dies:

Retired Air Force Col. Arthur "Kit" Murray, the first test pilot to venture so high as to see the Earth's curvature, has died at age 92. A native of Cresson, Pa., Murray died July 25 in a nursing home in West Tex., according to his Los Angeles Times obituary. Credited with setting unofficial and official altitude records of more than 90,000 feet in the Bell X-1A experimental aircraft over Edwards AFB, Calif., in 1954, Murray began his 22-year military career in the Army cavalry in 1939, but transferred to the Army Air Corps in 1941 the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. He flew more than 50 combat missions in World War II. After the war, he became a test pilot at Edwards. He also piloted the Bell X-1B on its first powered flight at Edwards.

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JFCOM Furls Its Colors:

US Joint Forces Command officially closed its doors Thursday in a move meant to trim excess Pentagon bureaucracy and help the Defense Department operate more efficiently. Speaking during the disestablishment ceremony at the command's headquarters in Suffolk, Va., Adm. Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said airmen, soldiers, sailors, and marines are so used to operating jointly after nearly a decade of fighting two wars that a separate command dedicated to fostering jointness is no longer needed. However, he emphasized that "international, economic, and threat environments" will "demand we work together in order to be successful" in the future. Mullen said the Air Force-Navy AirSea Battle concept, which calls for closer integration of air and sea forces, is the perfect example of how integrated the services have become. "This and many other joint approaches would have been almost unthinkable a mere generation ago," he said. For that, JFCOM deserves credit. DOD established the command in 1999. While the Pentagon leadership has eliminated some of JFCOM's former functions, some activities will live on in the Norfolk-Suffolk area under new management or with other US military organizations. (AFPS report by Jim Garamone)

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Air Force guilty of religious bigotry - bans Scripture in class
August 9, 2011



The Air Force has banned a class on the Christian-based "Just War Theory" because the class used verses from the Bible.
"Just War Theory" has been a part of Western civilization since the days of St. Augustine in the 5th century A.D. It uses the abiding standards of the word of God to help members of the military determine when the use of lethal force against an enemy of this country is morally legitimate and helps them to know how to use that force in a morally just way.
The class has been taught for more than two decades at Vandenberg Air Force base, and has been an important source of perspective for those who have their fingers on the missile launchers that protect our liberties.
But because of noisy complaints from secular fundamentalists the class has now been shelved, and our military has been robbed of the moral guidance of the Scriptures.
Rather than fight for religious liberty, the Air Force meekly suspended the entire class the day the complaint was filed.
And so the banning of the Bible in the armed services continues. Donated Bibles were burned in Afghanistan because it might offend Muslims in Afghanistan. (Yes, our government apparently considers book burning to be okay as long as the book is the Bible.)
And weapons inscribed with Bible verses likewise have been banned in Afghanistan, again in order not to offend Muslims.
It's time for this extinguishing of the lamp of God's word to stop.

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Balad's Newest Four-Grand Viper Jock:

Brig. Gen. Kurt Neubauer, commander of the 332nd Air Expeditionary Wing, recently topped 4,000 flight hours in the F-16. "To the combat pilots of the past, thank you for showing the way; to today's, seize the day with gusto. To tomorrow's, persevere," said Neubauer as he stepped from the cockpit at JB Balad, Iraq, following the landmark sortie, Aug. 1. Neubauer was accompanied on the mission by wingman Lt. Col. Bob Whitehouse, 332nd Expeditionary Operations Group deputy commander. Whitehouse clocked 3,000 flight hours in the Viper just last month. "I'm thankful to my fellow fighter pilots and the airmen I have served with over all those years for their example—stick, rudder, heart, and soul—and giving so much to our Air Force," Neubauer said. (Balad report by Capt. Larry Farrell)

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DOD releases names of victims in CH-47 shot down.............3 Airmen were among those killed

List provided by the Dept of Defense

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F-15 Eagle completes aviation biofuesl test flight; F-119 next
Jim Lane | January 10, 2011 | 1 Comment
ShareIn Florida, a U.S. Air Force F-15 Eagle successfully completed a biofuels trial at Eglin Air Force Base using Hydrotreated Renewable Jet (HRJ) blended with traditional JP-8 jet fuel. Ground testing also included a blend of JP-8 jet fuel, HRJ, and a synthetic fuel made from coal. This is Pratt & Whitney’s second military engine to successfully complete ground and flight tests using biofuels. A C-17 Globemaster III, powered exclusively by four Pratt & Whitney F117 engines, completed testing in August. Similar tests are planned for the F-119 in the near future.

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DADT (Dont ask Dont tell) Repeal Training Nears Completion:

The Air Force has nearly completed the mandated training intended to prepare airmen for the repeal of the controversial Don't Ask, Don't Tell law on Sept. 20. All airmen going through basic training have already completed the training, as well as 97 percent of the active duty force, and nearly 93 percent of the reserve components, said Col. Jeff White, air force learning division chief, in a release. "Completing this training is important to our success. Leadership at all levels must be engaged to ensure completion," Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz said. "With steadfast leadership, Secretary Donley and I are confident the high level of professionalism, respect, dignity, and discipline of our airmen will remain unchanged after repeal." The training, which is designed to prepare airmen for a military that allows openly gay and lesbian troops to serve, is available through the Advanced Distributed Learning Service link on the Air Force portal, said White.

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Divided Is Sometimes Better than United:

Two economic development groups are fighting to keep Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, in two separate congressional districts. Thanks to a declining population, Ohio must give up 18 congressional districts. The base currently sits in both the 3rd district, represented by Mike Turner (R-Centerville) and the 7th district, represented by Steve Austria (R-Beavercreek). The Dayton Development Coalition and the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce wrote a letter to Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Ohio State Senate President Tom Niehaus, and Ohio House Speaker William Batchelder, last week after learning of a plan to combine the two districts—something opponents argue will significantly diminish the base's clout in Congress. "Our congressional delegation works to advance the core mission of WPAFB, grow its workforce, and defend against attempts to transfer missions or functions from Ohio," they said in the letter, reported by the Dayton Business Journal. The letter also noted that "other states continuously seek to siphon jobs from Wright-Patterson, but have been rebuffed through strong congressional action." Wright-Patt is home to Air Force Materiel Command, Aeronautical Systems Center, Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force Institute of Technology, and the National Museum of the Air

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No Fighting Falcons for Taiwan:

The US government has denied Taiwan's request for new F-16C/D fighters, reportedly offering a $4.2 billion upgrade package as a consolation prize, according to press reports. Taiwan has repeatedly requested the advanced fighters to counter China's growing military strength. At the same time, China has repeatedly warned US officials that such an arms sale to Taiwan would boost tensions between the two superpowers. A Pentagon delegation to Taiwan delivered the final verdict last week, reported Reuters, citing Defense News. The upgrade package would include Airborne Electronically Scanned Array radar for Taiwan's fleet of 146 Block 20 F-16s. Neither government has publicly confirmed the reports and a spokesman for Taiwan's defense ministry still expressed hope that "the sale of new F-16C/D fighter aircraft will go through," according to Reuters. The Taipei Times reported that the rumored upgrade may be further limited to only one of two wings equipped with the F-16. Taiwan requested a total of 66 Block 50/52 aircraft estimated at $5.5 billion.