Air Force
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Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says DoD's fleet of A-10 jet fighters can't survive long term budget cuts. But Congress says it doesn't want to write them out of next year's defense budget, so the Pentagon needs to find a different way to pay for the fleet. On In Depth with Francis Rose, Lt. Col. Dan Ward of Hanscom Air Force Base shared a way to save the A-10 using some simple math.
August 20, 2014 -
Agencies are struggling to find a good way to ensure employees have access to only the information they are supposed to have access to. Now, one could be close to a solution. The Air Force is launching a pilot program to test role-based authentication. Federal News Radio's Executive Editor Jason Miller joined Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive with details. Read Jason's related article.
August 15, 2014 -
The service will test out a role-based authentication technology on an application in the MilCloud run by DISA. Frank Konieczny, the Air Force's chief technology officer, said the pilot could move into full production in six months. DoD is considering adding the role-based capability to the JIE framework.
August 15, 2014 -
In order to stay on the cutting edge of mission-focused innovation, the Air Force Research Lab's Information Directorate in Rome, N.Y. conducts research on matters regarding command, control, communications, cyber and intelligence, better known as C4I . On this edition of AFCEA Answers, we'll learn more about the activities of the AFRL Information Directorate from its director, George Duchak. He'll tell us how a newly-developed device that mimics the human brain - a neuromorphic computer - may someday help future Air Force officers make better and faster decisions. We'll also learn how AFRL scientists are teaming with local students to determine how to commercialize the results of their research. And, on this edition of AFCEA Answers, you can glean insights from Mr. Duchak on how to improve the acquisition of information technology.
August 13, 2014 -
Service's latest strategy document sees a future in which it will need to be more flexible and adaptable, including in its acquisition and personnel policies and organizational structures.
July 31, 2014 -
Air Force leadership rolls out a new strategic plan today. "America's Air Force: A Call to the Future" is a 30-year plan that focuses on four key points the Air Force believes will shape the future of air power. But their plan isn't entirely a new concept. Russell Rumbaugh is Director of Budgeting for Foreign Affairs and Defense, and Senior Associate, at the Stimson Center. Russell and his colleague Barry Blechman from Stimson wrote in Breaking Defense about a concept called Strategic Agility. On In Depth with Francis Rose, he explained the connection between today's plan -- as introduced by Secretary James and General Welsh -- and the work he and Barry have done.
July 30, 2014 -
Suicides among active-duty military rose this year compared with the same period last year, but Pentagon officials indicate more service members are seeking help through hotlines and other aid programs. Pentagon documents obtained by The Associated Press show there were 161 confirmed or suspected suicides as of July 14, compared with 154 during the same time frame in 2013. The increase was among the Air Force and Navy, while soldiers and Marine suicides went down.
July 23, 2014 -
U.S.-Russia tensions over Ukraine haven't yet impacted the flow of critical rocket engines to the U.S. space program, but that could change at any time. The military's top space official says another reason to get going on an American-made alternative is to sustain a deteriorating portion of the defense industrial base.
July 23, 2014 -
The F-35 is back in business, at least on a limited basis. The military is allowing some flying capabilities. It was grounded back in June when part of the engine of a U.S. Air Force F-35 A-model broke apart and ripped through the top of a jet as it prepared for take-off. As a result, the plane will not fly in the Farnborough International Airshow in England.
July 16, 2014 -
The Air Force will offer early retirement and buyouts to civilian personnel, in order to eliminate nearly 3,500 positions, officials announced Monday. The service estimates the cuts will save the Air Force $1.6 billion over the next five years.
July 15, 2014 -
A new bipartisan report from the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations called the Air Force's now-canceled Expeditionary Combat Support System "one of the most egregious examples of mismanagement by the DoD in recent memory." But the failure of ECSS may not be an aberration, the report suggested. Other enterprise-resource planning programs in the department are at risk of falling victim to the same fate.
July 09, 2014 -
Sean C. Young and Benjamin J. Tran, two electronics engineers with the Air Force Research Lab created an aerial sensor that has helped U.S. service members to find and destroy dangerous improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Afghanistan.
July 07, 2014 -
The Service to America Medals honor federal employees who go above and beyond their job descriptions to serve the public. For the next few months, Federal News Radio will be speaking to the finalists. A civilian engineer is reshaping the way the military performs operations in the air and on the field. Sean Young is an electronics engineer with the Air Force Research Laboratory in Ohio. He helped save soldiers' lives in Afghanistan by creating a new aerial sensor system to detect improvised explosive devices. For his creativity, he is a finalist in the National Security and International Affairs category of the 2014 Sammies awards. He joined Tom Temin on the Federal Drive to talk about his nomination. View a gallery of all the Sammies nominees. Read a Q&A with Sean Young.
July 07, 2014 -
The Defense Department is shaking up the $380 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Yesterday, Lt. Gen. Christopher Bodgan, the program director, explained how the Pentagon was asking major contractors to put skin in the game and invest in cost-reduction measures. In the second part of his interview with Tom Temin and Emily Kopp on the Federal Drive, Bogdan takes a long-term view on the Pentagon's sometimes rocky relationship with Lockheed Martin and other key players.
July 01, 2014 -
The Defense Department's request for its overseas contingency operations is about $20 billion less than initial estimates. Former Defense officials say realistic goals and managed expectations usually spelled success for weapons systems.
June 30, 2014
