[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaJeA8P67cY[/youtube] It’s bombs away for the Joint Strike Fighter. This week,the F-35A completed the first in-flight weapons release of a hulking 2,000-pound GBU-31 BLU-109 JDAM from a fifth generation fighter, according to Lockheed Martin. Air Force Maj. Eric “Doc” Schultz flew the mission from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and jettisoned the bomb at the China Lake test range. It’s another in a line of firsts for the delayed F-35 program. With the first F-35B arriving at Patuxent River, Md., first refueling of the F-35B, first Air Force maintainer engine runs and even the announcement of its big screen debut.
Author Brian Everstine
The Air Force’s new sports motto: Go Hurricanes? Earlier this week, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., announced it will award a sole-source, firm-fixed price contract to the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, stiffing the NHL’s other American teams. The contract includes the following provisions: – Five minutes of advertising on the advertising boards, along with one PA announcement, at the Hurricanes’ home ice. – One table on the concourse – One autographed team stick – One 18-person suite – One conference room for an hour-long presentation – A logo on the team’s website. No word on if the other services plan to support…
[brightcove video=”1784266759001″ /] A group of activists from Protect Our Defenders, which represents military sexual trauma survivors, last week delivered signatures to Rep. Muck McKeon’s office. McKeon, a California Republican, is chairman of the House Armed Services committee. The group was pushing Congress to hold an open hearing about sexual assault cases at Joint Base Lackland-San Antonio, Texas. Video produced by Medill Washington.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=af2m0gf6TtA[/youtube] Senior Airman Jael Laborn, an aerial videographer with the 3rd Combat Camera Squadron, recently uploaded this video summarizing his six months in Afghanistan. It’s worth the watch.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IaqVan6vnIs[/youtube] Oops. Via NYC Aviation, a C-17 Globemaster III landed at Peter O. Knight airport in Tampa, Fla., startling some of the crew on the ground. Our friends at WTSP-TV in Tampa report that the plane was intending to land at MacDill Air Force Base about five miles away. Witnesses and nearby homeowners near the airport, when the plane landed, say they could hardly believe their eyes and feared the aircraft may crash through the end of the small runway and end up in Tampa Bay. “Two words: one starts with O and one starts with S,” said Don Sipila,…
A reddit user uploaded this photo of a hangar at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., that had a rather unfortunate mishap. Reportedly, a spark set off the hangar’s fire suppression system, covering the A-10, F-15 and F-16 in foam. You can only imagine the fun the maintenance crew had cleaning up the mess.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxwgXK2SOxs[/youtube] The Washington National Guard uploaded this video of Tech. Sgt. Tavis Delaney calling in close air support from an F-16 during a long battle near Do Ab, Nuristan province, in May of last year. From our story on the battle: … hundreds of Taliban fighters attacked with heavy machine guns, rocket-propelled grenades and mortars. Radio intercepts indicated they had been waiting days to lure, trap and kill the force of American and Afghan troops — and they had the advantage of numbers, position and firepower. But when the attack ended 13 hours later, not a single American or Afghan…
David Brown, the managing editor over at Defense News, snapped this picture of the landmark water tower outside Joint Base Andrews, Md. The water tower has been an icon over the beltway with the Air Force logo standing on its own, until now as a result of joint basing.
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz, speaking to a group of think tankers at the Atlantic Council on Monday in Washington, responded to criticism of the Pentagon’s support for the president’s budget proposal with some strong words. Budget Committee Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., now famously criticized the military’s support of the budget to Capitol Hill, saying that he could not believe the generals could support the president’s proposal. Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., also said that there is a debate within the Pentagon about the budget. Ryan has since said he misspoke in his criticism. When asked…
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yKpjKgf4rA[/youtube] The Air Force’s very own nu metal band Max Impact is back with a new video, released yesterday. This time they are highlighting special tactics airmen. Rock on m/
