A new handheld tool being developed will allow F-35 maintainers to check the aircraft’s paint for any damage in a fraction of the time it now takes. The handheld imaging tool consists of a 7-pound scanner and an 11-pound backpack; whereas the current piece of equipment weighs 1,200 pounds, according to the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Recent advances in materials and electronics have allowed the Air Force to miniaturize imaging systems, said Juan G. Calzada, of the laboratory .Because the tool is so portable, it eliminates much of the time needed to set up…
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Photo courtesy Chicago Automaidan via Міжнародний Альянс Братської Допомоги Facebook page.
Medical supplies, outdoor gear, camo, sleeping bags and now — drones. These items have reached the battlefields in the east as new images on social media show Ukrainian soldiers holding the unmanned aircraft. While the drones are far from military grade and are more akin to ones hobbyists could easily purchase in the United States, they can fly hundreds of feet in the air and beam back video to tablets and smartphones on the ground. But unlike military grade equipment, these commercial drones will likely be subject to jamming from adversaries. And that’s why the organization managing these supplies —…
The Air Force could add up to 1,440 cyber airmen and civilians at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland. The base, which hosts the 24th Air Force and the National Security Agency, could bring in “approximately 1,280 to 1,440 additional manpower authorizations,” Christine Millette, 24th Air Force spokeswoman, said in an email to Air Force Times. “Joint Base San Antonio was chosen as the preferred alternative due to its optimized cyber mission synergy, proximity to supported command leadership, high-speed network capacity, available facilities, base community support and low cost option for the tax payer,” Millette said. Maj. Gen. James McLaughlin, commander of…
Starting this fall, Iraq will start receiving F-16 fighters, giving the Iraqi military the capability to attack al-Qaida militants who have proven to be too well armed for Iraq’s fleet of helicopters. The first two F-16s are slated to arrive in Iraq this September, according to the U.S. State Department. By the fall 2017, Iraq will have received 36 F-16 fighters, the first of which recently made its maiden flight, said Mark Johnson, a spokesman for Lockheed Martin. Johnson declined to say how many smart bombs the fighters bound for Iraq can carry. To date, 11 Iraqi pilots have trained…
This time-lapse video takes you on a two minute journey through the changing Hawaiian landscape, but also into galaxies beyond our reach. It’s centered around the Maui Space Surveillance Complex, where the Air Force operates the Ground-based Electro-Optical Deep-Space Surveillance Network, or GEODSS, says Tanya Basu at National Geographic. GEODSS maintains one highly important job: to make sure satellites don’t collide. The video was produced by Andrew Breese and photographed by Tech Sgt. Bennie Davis for Airman Magazine, the official magazine of the Air Force. Read more about what it takes to monitor these satellites, the inspiration behind this beautiful video…
Reviewing history in the military, the Air Force and triumphs and misadventures in airpower. On Nov. 9, 1961, during the first full-throttle flight of the X-15, Air Force Maj. Robert M. White became the first pilot to exceed Mach 6, attaining a top speed of 4,094 mph during a flight just under 8 minutes between Mud Lake, Nev., and Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Likewise, the rocket-powered X-15 aircraft was the first airplane to exceed Mach 6. According to his L.A. Times obituary, White was also the first pilot to exceed Mach 4 and Mach 5 before his Nov. 9…
Don’t drink and drive. A message the Air Force — as well as organizations all over the United States — have been saying over and over to make the message stick. If you find yourself without a ride at night, the new “Wingmanship” app may be able to help. Created by Airman 1st Class Hwansung Kim, 43rd Logistics Readiness Squadron, the free Android mobile app provides functionality for “calling a wingman, finding a taxi, hotel, calling the base directory or an emergency contact,” Kim said in a release. The app is available for airmen at Pope Army Airfield, Fort Bragg,…
Sink holes, tornadoes, mud slides … whatever it may be, the Air Force wants you to “be ready.” A few months ago, the Air Force Civil Engineer Center launched the “Be Ready” app to help airmen prepare for and respond to all types of emergencies, including natural or man-made disasters. Air Force officials are highlighting Be Ready to help airmen plan for emergencies as part of September’s National Preparedness Month. The app is an interactive, on-the-go emergency preparation resource, said Sam Hazzard, the Air Force Emergency Management education and training program manager, in a news release. According to the Be…
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. — Air Force cyber mission teams supporting U.S. Cyber Command will be comprised of about 1,260 airmen, the head of Air Force Space Command said Tuesday. Gen. William Shelton said that while an earlier projection may have called for 1,500 airmen, that was still being talked about in the leadership circles. “After several briefings involving the services, the Joint Staff and U.S. Cyber Command, 1,264 was the number agreed to as the Air Force share of the overall requirement for the cyber mission force,” Shelton said at the Air Force Association Air & Space Conference. “That is…
