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The article focuses on the challenges faced by the U.S. Air Force in the transformation of its air warfare strategies in South Korea. Technical and operational initiatives span the disciplines of command and control and air warfare. This includes converting the U.S. A-10 fleet from A- to C-models, filling F-16 units with data link-equipped Block 40 aircraft, and tying South Korea's new, networked F-15Ks into a joint network, according to the author.

This article reports that establishing a KC-135 replacement plan in the wake of the defunct KC-767 lease proposal is going to take longer than first thought and could engulf Boeing, EADS, Lockheed Martin Corp. and Northrop Grumman Corp. Two studies are likely to influence the Pentagon's direction — an analysis of alternatives on replacing the KC-135s and a refueling needs study. Both are about to wrap up, but Air Force acquisition chief Marvin Sambur says determining a path ahead "could take a while." Northrop Grumman officials appear split internally. Some company officials are eager to partner with EADS, a company with which Northrop Grumman already has extensive relations. However, others think a tanker offering wouldn't be a good fit from a business perspective, and the backlash from Congress could outweigh any benefits from a few orders.

Focuses on the modernization plan of the Israeli Air Force. Perceived threat from Iran and Iraq; Enhancement of the ability of the air force to strike the launch sites of a generation of Iranian and Iraqi ballistic missiles; Arrow missile program; Establishment of an all-weather space reconnaissance and surveillance capability.

The article reports on the debate in the U.S. regarding F-22 production and who will operate the Raptors if operational numbers are cut. It states that Air Force officials both in Hawaii and Alaska expect their Air National Guard (ANG) and Air Force Reserve units to take delivery of the stealth fighter. According to Brigadier General Peter Pawling, who commanded the 154th Wing of Hawaii ANG, he still plans to get those airplanes and has been assured that the aircraft is coming.

The article reports on the deployment of the No.5 Squadron with two Sentinel R1 aircraft and two ground systems before the end of 2008. The squadron is comprised of the Royal Air Force (RAF), British Army, and Royal Navy personnel. The Raytheon-built Airborne Stand-Off Radar (Astor) is a modular intelligence-gathering and analysis system with the Sentinel aircraft as its airborne component.

The article reports that the combat potential of the U.S. and its major partners in the Pacific has grown with an emphasis on range, networking, striking power and advanced intelligence gathering. However, integration of these capabilities into a functional defense is affected by operational, manpower and financial demands of more traditional wars. According to General Howie Chandler, new commander of Pacific Air Forces, building an international coalition in the Pacific would involve the nurturing of many relationships, which are mostly bilateral.

This article reports that Israel plans to keep its aerial domination of the Middle East intact, and that includes buying Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, accelerating its first deliveries, and deciding whose advanced equipment will be packed into the stealthy strike aircraft. A senior Israeli air force (IAF) official says those major areas of concern appear to be on the right track because of an "understanding" with the U.S. officials. But Israel's ambitions to integrate indigenous weaponry pose some problems for the program.

This article reports that the supposedly dead joint unmanned combat air systems (J-UCAS ) program spawns new designs as unmanned combat becomes focus for planners. The parting of the ways between the U.S. Air Force and Navy over the J-UCAS program has triggered a surge in new competition and plans for large, long-endurance aircraft. A number of aerospace companies are looking at designs with multiple engines, wingspans of more than 100 ft. and the potential to generate the power needed for directed-energy weapons or large, active electronically scanned array radars. The latter can produce pulses of microwaves intense enough to serve as weapons.

The article reports that the U.S. Air Force wants to be Pentagon's UAV manager, but the plan has Army and Navy officials worried. Senior Air Force officials are petitioning the Pentagon's civilian leadership to name the service as the Defense Department's executive agent setting requirements and standards as well as guiding development for unmanned aerial vehicles as part of an effort to expand its core missions beyond the "silk scarf" force of manned aircraft. While still in the initial throes of a dramatic 25% reduction of its fighter fleet, USAF officials are reinventing the service as the military's primary organization for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering, as well as the director for development and operation of unmanned surveillance and combat aircraft.

The elimination of Iraq as a military power has given Israeli leaders perhaps as many as five years during which they can reduce military spending, in part by decommissioning or reorganizing up to 10 air force squadrons equipped with older aircraft. To jump-start the process, senior defense ministry and Israel Air Force (IAF) officials will quickly retire the country's remaining A-4 Skyhawk and F-4-2000 Phantom squadrons. It will promote modernization of the IAF with the introduction of new F-16I and F-15I aircraft, said Jacob Nagel, acting head of the defense ministry's research and development office.

Aerial deception and misdirection, network-centric warfare and advanced communications were combined to swiftly collapse Iraq's defenses. One clue to clandestine U.S. activity came from television footage shot early in the conflict of Iraqi soldiers combing the banks of the Tigris River in Baghdad. The Navy had its own deception campaign for its first two nights of operations over Baghdad. A Navy-flown DC-130 (a C-130 modified to carry and launch drones) dropped three Firebee target drones borrowed from the Air Force. Two others were ground launched. Learning from missed opportunities in Afghanistan and other earlier conflicts, the Air Force had developed a template for fast approval of short-notice targeting.

The article reports on a series of war games called Pacific Vision being conducted by Pacific Air Forces (Pacaf). General Howie Chandler, Pacaf commander who was named the next Air Force vice chief of staff, says one of the reasons they are out there building partnerships throughout the region is access. According to the article, one of the new imperatives resulting from the first Pacific Vision exercises is the study of alternative intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR).

The article reports on the additional features of the airborne stand-off radar (Astor) system in Great Britain. There is networking of Astor's radar products with intelligence from the Nimrod R1, the Royal Air Force' (RAF) renowned signals and communications intelligence aircraft, and a range of new unmanned aircraft built for both reconnaissance and strike which include Predator, Reaper, and Watchkeeper. Robert Murrett, director of the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, noted the importance of gravitometrics and ground moving target indicator.

The article explores Georgia's relative success against the Russian air force and the failure of Syria's Russian-made air defenses against the Israeli air force. U.S. analysts suggest that the simplicity of the Georgian air defenses, with far less dependence on networking, made it tougher to knock out or blind major parts of the system. The exploitability of Russian-designed and -built defenses was demonstrated in 2007 when the Israeli air force totally shut down Syrian air defenses prior to bombing a suspected nuclear site.

The article focuses on changes in the plans of the U.S. Air Force. The Hawaii Air National Guard (ANG), slated to be the first F-22 unit commanded by the ANG, is scheduled to receive its first two Raptors in 2010 but issues on budgetary restrictions have spurred. The U.S. Air Force's plans for its seven F-15C squadrons are being revised. Two are likely to be equipped with upgraded F-15 Golden Eagles, one of which would be dedicated to the ANG F-22 training unit.

This article reports that the numbers of unmanned vehicles participating in Red Flag, the U.S. Air Force's (USAF) premier air combat exercise, may equal those with aircrews on board. Development of the new sort of unmanned aircraft pilot, driven by the shortage of fully qualified and experienced pilots, is being talked about. Two options were to train intelligence officers as pilots or to send pilot training graduates directly to unmanned aircraft units. The training is needed because of all the additional data available in real time to an unmanned aircraft pilot, including air tasking orders, airspace control orders and special instructions from each mission cell in an operations center. Nonetheless, USAF's Air Education and Training Command is looking at developing students who would come to Predator right out of pilot training.

The article informs that the U.S. Air Force F-15Es in the Gulf region are flying on a mission they were never designed for, and it has drawn louder praise from the ground forces than their bomb dropping. The job is called non-traditional ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance). That means the strike aircraft's package of sensors, designed to precisely place a weapon, is now being used to track insurgent gunmen and messengers or those who plant bombs and plan ambushes. The ultimate goal is not to attack them, but to follow them to safe houses, weapons stores and to others in their network.

The article informs that the U.S. Army, Air Force and Navy Reserves components are taking an inordinate number of cuts in the Defense Department's proposal of bases to be closed and realigned, although analysts are split over whether they are painful enough to start driving citizen airmen away from service. Meanwhile, lawmakers are vowing to defend what they say are key installations that should not be closed. But others pledged to fight for their bases, like Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, a member of the Armed Services Committee.

The article reports that the stealth bombers of the U.S. air force are poised for a massive overhaul. It further reports that to prepare itself for the new reality, Boeing Co., is creating a new organization called Air Force Systems Global Strike Solutions to meld its fighter, bomber, weapon and unmanned system programs. Boeing strategists want an organization that can reach anywhere in the company to find answers to the Pentagon's desire for a force that can strike anywhere in the world from the continental U.S.

The article reports that propulsion systems are quickly becoming a key to next-generation stealth platforms. The conflicting requirements of low-cost and high-stealth aircraft remain unresolved. However, there may be a solution in new concepts offered by engine builders who suggest cutting costs by building more stealth into the propulsion systems and less into the airframe. One example of this strategy is the S-shaped engine exhaust. It was presaged by General Electric Co. and Northrop Grumman's work on the B-2.

The article reports that defense-spending cuts are compounded by threat of walkout by Lockheed Martin Corp. machinists. Lockheed Martin production of the F/A-22 and C-130J, as well as C-5 modifications, could survive a "matter of some weeks" without major disruption if employees go on strike March 8, 2005 as threatened, say company insiders. Parts and subassemblies in the supply line, as well as the efforts of salaried employees to keep production going, are expected to buy the company some time. Lockheed Martin officials have already communicated their strike-contingency plans to U.S. Air Force leadership.

The article reports that the shape of the U.S. Air Force will change dramatically over the next two decades as the total number of aircraft drops by 10% and the number of fighters by 25% under a policy of "aggressive divestment" of older systems, say two of the service's top strategic planners. As the U.S. continues its long-term global war on terrorism, the defense budget will stop its growth and then diminish, says Christopher J. Bowie, deputy director of strategic planning.By 2011, the Air Force's investments in joint enablers, including space, surveillance, tankers and airlifters, are predicted to grow to 45% from 33% over a 1962-70 baseline. Joint combat forces will slide to 24% from 31%, although some areas, such as rapid strike, will receive new investment.

The article presents information on aircraft industry. It reports that the Italian and Japanese air forces will receive a lighter, stronger and potentially much more reliable version of the refueling boom on its tankers than those now flown on the U.S. Air Force's KC-135s. The new boom's exterior looks like the typical KC-135 in order to take advantage of proven aerodynamics, but the interior is radically different in parts count — about 50% less — and projected reliability. The KC-767 boom includes a new, stronger extruded tube that houses the telescoping section of the boom. Average life is expected to increase from 4-5 years to more than 20 years.

The article reports that the Italian air force's first 767 tanker is having its aerial refueling boom installed at Boeing's Wichita facility, one of the advanced steps in a plan that includes an official rollout by month's end and a flight to France, where the aircraft is to be on display at the Paris air show. The article also informs that the aircraft's avionics systems, as delivered to Italy, will have 614,500 lines of software code with another 235,500 lines of code to run the aerial-refueling control system. Those for the flight controls and avionics upgrades are completed, while only about 20% of the code for the aerial refueling integration is finished.

The article reports on government policies and aircraft industry. Re-engining old aircraft, a practice U.S. Air Force planners prefer to avoid in favor of buying next-generation designs, is coming back into vogue as the U.S government administration slashes defense budgets to shrink the ballooning national debt. At the top of the list is the E-8C Joint-STARS long-range ground surveillance aircraft, a crucial tool for locating enemy targets in every conflict since the 1991 war in Iraq. The Air Force also wants to replace its 17 E-8Cs eventually with new E-10s that carry the upgraded MP-RTIP active electronically scanned radar.

The article reports that Pratt & Whitney Corp. is betting that during the next decade, the pennypinching Pentagon will invest at least some new money in long-range strike and long-range reconnaissance. To cover those distinctly different design requirements for propulsion systems, company researchers think they can produce derivatives to meet both needs from the engine they designed for the stealthy F/A-22 Raptor. The Air Force is encouraging engine developers to look at long-range strike propulsion options because they otherwise would have to wait another 5-10 years to start development of engines for the bomber that is envisioned to replace the B-2 beginning around 2035-37.

The article reports that military planners are beginning to stake out positions for next year's major policy debates. For the U.S. Air Force, that means focusing on concepts, processes and strategies rather than individual programs, as service leaders approach the upcoming Quadrennial Defense Review. Vernon Clark, chief of naval operations, says that this year service life on the EA-6B jamming aircraft was a concern because they were being used so heavily, and that now similar worries exist about the P-3 maritime patrol fleet.

The article reports that the losing performance of the fighter plane F-15Cs in simulated air-to-air combat against the Indian air force this year is being perceived by some, both in the U.S. and overseas, as a weakening of American capabilities, and it is generating taunts from within the competitive U.S. fighter community. The Cope India exercise also seemingly shocked some in Congress and the Pentagon who used the event to renew the call for modernizing the U.S. fighter force with stealthy F/A-22s and F-35 Joint Strike Fighters.

Confusion surrounds steath fighter Raptor's air to ground upgrade program as congressional investigators predict cost increases. There are signs the F/A-22 Raptor program is running into the same lethal combination of financial pressures, uneven progress in development and intensified congressional scrutiny that led to the cancellation of the U.S. Army's RAH-66 Comanche. In order to keep the F/A-22 program alive in United States. Air Force will have to defend it vigorously against any kind of criticism as the production costs seemed to increase and more research is required in the ground attack capability, adding of the precision and standoff weaponry to the aircraft.

Reports the modification of Israel Air Force on fighting in the cities. Lessons from the intense attack helicopter operations; Importance of helicopters on urban fighting; Problem on fighting in cities.

Reports the domination of Sukhoi projects in the fifth-generation fighter plane competition in Russia. Concept of the company's fighter plane design; Reflection of the relationship between the Russian air force and Sukhoi; Leadership of Sukhoi in the country's aerospace industry.

Compares the state of Chinese air fighter force in 1995 with its predicted state in 2005. Conclusions drawn from the Rand study, entitled `China's Air Force Enters the 21st Century'; Details of China's Su-27 and F-10 programs; Comments on the issue by Chinese analysts.

The article examines the use of drone aircraft for military surveillance and reconnaissance by Israel's armed forces. The use of the Eitan/Heron 2 drone aircraft in surveillance of illegal arms transfers in the Red Sea area is discussed. The expansion of the operations performed by Israel's drone aircraft due to technological improvements in their equipment is considered.

The article reports on the move of Pacific Air Forces planners to explore how to mount a counterstrike while under cyber- and electronic attack. According to General Howie Chandler, commander of Pacific Air Forces, the systems of systems approach to electronic attack is classified, however, the primary issue is how to deal with high-power, low-band jamming at longer range so a person is not pushed out of the target area.

The article discusses the possibility of the British Royal Air Force to be the first of three Boeing RC-135V/W Rivet Joint electronic intelligence aircraft to replace the capability provided by the Nimrod R1. A Defense Ministry official noted that no sale has been concluded and that Great Britain's expression of interest is purely an administrative measure to facilitate rapid procurement if required.

The article features the KC-767 aircraft of the Italian air force. It is dedicated to refueling, cargo-hauling and shifting personnel during far-off deployments. But in the military's long-term vision, the aircraft may prove to be the ticket to network-centric operations, advanced command and control, and intelligence-gathering.

The article reports that while celebrating delivery to the U.S. Navy of the first F/A-18E/Fs equipped with a stealth and small-target-detecting radar, Boeing Co. officials said that Switzerland, Japan and India are looking at both the advanced fighter and some variant of its classified advanced radar for a future fighter purchase. More surprisingly, Navy officials say they are planning for the possibility of their own additional fighter production because of the expectation, not yet confirmed, that operational introduction of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter will slip. They believe there is a realistic chance of obtaining export license approval to sell the aircraft with some version of the new APG-79 active electronically scanned array radar that is just now being delivered to the Navy. In an associated program, the Air Force has developed an AIM-120C-6 Amraam missile with a warhead tailored to strike small, slow targets head-on.

The article reports that General Electric is developing a stronger fan blade for the B-2 bomber's engines that should enable them to better withstand ice and debris ingestion. Testing of the new blades for the F118's first-stage fan will begin later this year the culmination of three years' development work. However, the U.S. Air Force has not yet picked a date to introduce the modifications.Moreover, the B-2s are starting their first engine overhaul cycle. The powerplant's current life is set at 1,400 total accumulated cycles.

This article reports that French citizens are evacuating the Ivory Coast after being terrorized by rioting crowds, spurred on by government agitators, who destroyed homes and businesses in retaliation for a French attack on the nation's small, newly acquired and mercenary-piloted air force. The French military destroyed most of the Ivory Coast air force's Sukhoi Su25 Frogfoot attack aircraft and a number of Mil Mi-24 attack and Mi-8 transport helicopters that were purchased from Belarus only about six months ago. A senior U.S. official says French strike aircraft deployed from Chad and Gabon made the assault. The breakdown of the ceasefire is expected to aid Al Qaeda and other informally linked Muslim fundamentalist insurgent groups who use the less populated areas of the Sahara Desert's periphery to organize, equip, train and generate their own attacks in Africa, Europe and the Middle East.

This article reports that U.S. Air Force officials are pressing an investigation of its acquisition system by identifying 11 programs worth more than $33 billion as among those in which former Air Force official Darleen Druyun made the final selection of a contractor. Air Force officials, even those well-versed in Pentagon infighting, have said privately that the real question of concern was how Darleen Druyun accumulated enough power during her nine-year tenure as the service's number two acquisition official to become the source-selection authority on so many contracts. They also noted Druyun's combative style and relish for humiliating senior Air Force and industry officials in her reviews of programs.

This article focuses on the fact that the U.S. Air Force leaders are favorably disposed to the idea of developing an interim long-range strike system to span today's bombers and a more futuristic system, but know that fiscal realities could undercut this ambition. Earlier this year the service asked aerospace companies to propose ideas for a new strike aircraft. The Air Force recently undertook several assessments showing that a new long-range strike system would have value, says Air Force Secretary James G. Roche. Aerospace companies not involved in building manned strike aircraft query why the services need large numbers of either manned or unmanned long-range bombers.