Category Archives: Air Force

News related to the United States Air Force

In C4ISR Journal – Cyber Defense Overhaul

By Sean Gallagher | Published: October 9, 2009
U.S. defense officials are insisting that by reorganizing their cybersecurity strategy to give new powers to the director of the National Security Agency, they are not attempting a power grab. The military will continue to focus on protecting its own networks, they said, rather than expanding the military’s role to protecting civilian-run electrical and transportation [...]
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BAE brought in to deal with “vanishing vendors” for F-15 radar warning system

By Sean Gallagher | Published: September 22, 2009
BAE Systems Information and Electronics of Totowa, New Jersey was awarded a $5,963,688 contract which will provide engineering services to resolve obsolete part and vanishing vendor issues with the LRU-3c low band receiver and digital processor, part of the of the AN/ALR-56C radar warning system of the F-15 fighter, and significantly improve the system [...]
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B-52 electronic warfare suite gets $25.7 million in support

By Sean Gallagher | Published: September 22, 2009
The Air Force’s 542nd Combat Sustainment Group, which is responsible for purchasing support for all Air Force electronic warfare systems, has given Northrop Grumman Systems Corp., of Rolling Meadows, Ill.,  a $25,739,773 contract to provide electronic warfare engineering services for the B-52H.  Northrop built the AN/ALR-46 digital warning receiver for the B-52, whic detects radar [...]
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Hawker Beechcraft and Lockheed team on USAF light armed recon aircraft bid

By Sean Gallagher | Published: September 17, 2009
The Air Force and Navy have both been investigating the idea of a return to propeller-driven aircraft for “irregular warfare” support — something that can provide both ISR for special forces on the ground with a long on-station time, and quick close air support when the need arises.  The Navy reportedly was looking at the [...]
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Three questions on cyber and space for SecDef at Air Force Association event

By Sean Gallagher | Published: September 16, 2009
MODERATOR:  You commented on 24th Air Force.  And would you also comment on the standup of U.S. Cyber Command and your expectations of how the services will organize and present a full range of capabilities to this new command? SEC. GATES:  I think all of the services have really readily embraced the reality that this is — this [...]
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Gates– Just say no to “corporate food fights” on tanker procurement

By Sean Gallagher | Published: September 16, 2009
Audio:Gates on Air Force KC-X competition:   This morning, in an address to the Air Force Association conference, Secretary Gates announced that the  Air Force will be the contracting authority for the KC-X Tanker, but with with oversight from contracting officials at the Department of Defense. He expects the release of the Draft RFP for [...]
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Air Force Chief of Staff promises Tanker RFP will be “foolproof”

By Sean Gallagher | Published: September 16, 2009
Defense News reports that Air Force Chief of Staff  General Norton told attendees of the Air Force Association annual conference that the the Request for Proposals for the redux on the Air Force’s KC-X tanker acquisition would be “foolproof”: As the crescendo for the service’s latest try at replacing its aging KC-135 tankers grows, Schwartz was asked [...]
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year for primes — more C4ISR contract announcements

By Sean Gallagher | Published: September 15, 2009
(Editor’s note:  Because of the volume of contracts announced this week, I’ll be following up with more detail in a seperate post.) ARMY: Flir Systems Inc., Wilsonville, Ore., was awarded on Sept. 10, 2009, a $15,389,821 delivery order (GSA). This requirement is for the procurement of the Star Safire II System Support Kits in support of [...]
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SRA Awarded $19 Million Air Force DCGS Contract

By Sean Gallagher | Published: September 15, 2009
The Air Force has contracted SRA International to help it better leverage the Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) ISR backbone.   Acc0rding to SRA’s release,  ”(b)uilding on the Air Force’s web-enabled intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) database, SRA will design interfaces allowing direct user input to the enterprise architecture database, along with models that perform independent analysis and [...]
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While fate of C-130 AMP hangs in balance, Boeing delivers first simulator

By Sean Gallagher | Published: September 15, 2009
Boeing has announced that the Air FOrce has taken delivery of the first C-130 Avionics Modernization Program training simulator, the Weapon System Trainer,  at Little Rock Air Force Base. It was declared “ready for use” on July 20. From the release: Boeing is scheduled to deliver a suite of trainers over the next several years to support [...]
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