US Air Force

[Andrea75]

Gli USA stanno costruendo una base militare per la loro aeronautica a Shindand in Afghanistan, vicino al confine con l'Iran (si tratta di una ex base sovietica).

 

Sarà la seconda base per dimensioni di quel paese (è previsto un ampliamento pari a tre volte le attuali dimensioni) http://defensetech.org/2012/01/03/our-new-megabase-in-afghanistan/

 

Ci stà lavorando l'838th Air Expeditionary Advisory Group commander source

 

[Andrea75]

Ecco il documento di programmazione della USAF per il 2013 FY-13 (Fiscal Year 2013) source in sostanza ... l'elenco dettagliato delle basi

 

 

insieme al documento di "USAF Force Structure Changes" source

[Andrea75]

Inventario annuale dell'aviazione e piano di finanziamento

[TT-1 Pinto]

Austerità ....

 

.... dal "Daily Report" dell' AFA - Monday April 16, 2012

 

 

Good Common Sense

 

Air Force Space Command has directed its personnel to cease wearing flight suits, the green flight jacket, and the A-2 leather jacket by Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year.

 

This decision aims to standardize uniforms across the command and save money.

 

"Between the expense of purchasing these items and the fact that our operations don't involve flying, this recommendation was good common sense," said command boss Gen. William Shelton in an April 13 release. (*)

 

The policy will affect about 1,800 airmen in the space systems operations and space and missile operations career fields, according to the command.

 

AFSPC stopped purchasing the flight suits and jackets in March for its space operators.

 

The policy will save an estimated $670,000 per year, states the release.

 

(*) .... http://www.afspc.af.mil/news1/story.asp?id=123297976

[-{-Legolas-}-]

Dev'essere il sogno di ogni Wing Commander, quello che ha realizzato il Comandante del 4th Fighter Wing che è decollato alla testa dell'intero stormo di 70 F-15E per un'esercitazione che ha avuto come obiettivo, la distruzione di 1.000 target in un solo passaggio, con tutte le implicazioni che questo risultato comporta nell'applicazione dei concetti di proiezione di forza contro nazioni ostili.

 

La missione ha avuto lo scopo di commemorare un periodo che risale alla seconda guerra mondiale, il 19 Giugno 1944 in cui gli aerei della Marina abbatterono 373 velivoli giapponesi, avendo subito solo 23 perdite, il 15 Aprile 1945 in cui il 4th FW si divise in due gruppi, "A" attaccando la regione di Praga, e "B" devastando la base della Luftwaffe a Gablingen in 40 minuti di attacco continuo. Lo stesso giorno l'8th Air Force attacco massicciamente gli aeroporti tedeschi ditruggendo 752 apparecchi, un colpo da cui la L. non si sarebbe più ripresa.

 

 

Fonte: Danger Room

Modificato 18 Aprile 2012 da -{-Legolas-}-

[TT-1 Pinto]

Il prossimo CSM dell'USAF ....

 

Welsh to become new USAF chief ....

Fonte .... .... http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/welsh-to-become-new-usaf-chief-371690/

 

Inoltre ....

 

http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=116286

 

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123301612

 

http://www.af.mil/information/bios/bio.asp?bioid=7550

 

 

[Andrea75]

segnalo un articolo sulla base Ellsworth Air Force Base (IATA: RCA) in South Dakota, USA, dove vengono effettuati i test UAV

 

[blob]

Dev'essere il sogno di ogni Wing Commander, quello che ha realizzato il Comandante del 4th Fighter Wing che è decollato alla testa dell'intero stormo di 70 F-15E per un'esercitazione che ha avuto come obiettivo, la distruzione di 1.000 target in un solo passaggio, con tutte le implicazioni che questo risultato comporta nell'applicazione dei concetti di proiezione di forza contro nazioni ostili.

 

La missione ha avuto lo scopo di commemorare un periodo che risale alla seconda guerra mondiale, il 19 Giugno 1944 in cui gli aerei della Marina abbatterono 373 velivoli giapponesi, avendo subito solo 23 perdite, il 15 Aprile 1945 in cui il 4th FW si divise in due gruppi, "A" attaccando la regione di Praga, e "B" devastando la base della Luftwaffe a Gablingen in 40 minuti di attacco continuo. Lo stesso giorno l'8th Air Force attacco massicciamente gli aeroporti tedeschi ditruggendo 752 apparecchi, un colpo da cui la L. non si sarebbe più ripresa.

 

 

Fonte: Danger Room

 

oddio c'era poco da riprendersi, la guerra finiva 20 gg dopo...... i russi in quel periodo già stavano nelle vicinanze di berlino

[madmike]

diciamo anche che, se fosse cosi' semplice, Desert Storm sarebbe durata 24 ore....

[Andrea75]

segnalo un paper redatto per il Congresso USA sugli strike di precisione Proliferation of Precision Strike: Issues for Congress

 

questo studio traccia una storia dell'evoluzione di questa dottrina, e della relativa tecnologia (sino ad oggi solo made in USA o quasi), e analizza gli stati o le entità che la stanno sviluppando e che la utilizzeranno in futuro

[Andrea75]

Lo strano caso del disertore stanco di scappare

 

Ventotto anni fa David Hemler è uscito dalla sua base in Germania. Poi ha fatto l’autostop e – secondo il suo racconto - è arrivato fino in Svezia dove si è costruito, con quale bugia, un’altra esistenza. Prima come cameriere in un fast food, poi come dipendente statale. Si è sposato ed ha avuto tre figli. Una vita difficile all’inizio ma poi normale. Solo che Hemler, 49 anni, ha un problema. E’ un disertore. Esperto di guerra elettronica nell’Us Air Force, David ha «abbandonato la postazione» il 10 febbraio dell’84. Per due motivi: una relazione sentimentale andata i frantumi e – dice lui – la sua opposizione alla politica dell’allora presidente Ronald Reagan.

In questi anni, Hemler è riuscito a stare a galla. Ha usato un alias per nascondere la sua identità e in giro raccontava di essere figlio di un vagabondo. Forse ora è stanco di nascondersi e vorrebbe cercare di risolvere i suoi guai. Per poi poter tornare a rivedere i genitori e il fratello negli Usa. Hemler, preso coraggio, ha contattato via email l’Us Air Force sperando in una soluzione morbida, magari un atto di clemenza. Difficile. David è un disertore dell’aviazione americana e le autorità vogliono anche capire cosa sia successo dopo la fuga.

[Andrea75]

Funding Limited For Advanced USAF Warfighting Tech

 

There are many breakthrough warfighting technologies available to U.S. Air Force planners, but perhaps only 10-20% of the projects have any chance of being funded for the foreseeable future, according to the service’s chief of staff.

 

The concepts include weaponry — both kinetic and directed energy — for the intercept of enemy ballistic missiles and the attack of low-orbiting space objects, as well as warheads that destroy, befuddle and misinform enemy electronics. They come in various sizes to fit 1-ton bomb casings, cruise missiles and long-range air-to-air missiles.

 

Cyber surveillance devices and weapons are already being introduced into the service’s arsenal, but as their sophistication goes up, so does the price. The brakes already are being applied to all these and other advanced concepts. The Air Force already has the largest cybersecurity budget of any of the services at $622 million for fiscal 2011, or 34% of the Pentagon’s $1.82 billion cybersecurity total for that year.

[Andrea75]

Una 'presentazione' della Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB), nel Montana

 

It is one of the three USAF bases to have the Minuteman-III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) launch facilities. The other two bases with similar launch facilities are the Minot AFB in North Dakota and F.E. Warren AFB in Wyoming.

 

The Malmstrom AFB occupies about 28,606 acres in the Cascade County to the south of Missouri river. The Malmstrom Missile Complex sprawls across 13,800 square miles, through seven counties across the north-central Montana region. It has 150 Minuteman III ICBM silo sites and 15 missile alert facilities.

[Andrea75]

La strategia degli USA per contrastare il terrorismo comprende la creazione di una rete di basi per droni U.S. assembling secret drone bases in Africa, Arabian Peninsula

 

The Obama administration is assembling a constellation of secret drone bases for counterterrorism operations in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula as part of a newly aggressive campaign to attack al-Qaeda affiliates in Somalia and Yemen, U.S. officials said.

One of the installations is being established in Ethi­o­pia, a U.S. ally in the fight against al-Shabab, the Somali militant group that controls much of that country. Another base is in the Seychelles, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, where a small fleet of “hunter-killer” drones resumed operations this month after an experimental mission demonstrated that the unmanned aircraft could effectively patrol Somalia from there.

The U.S. military also has flown drones over Somalia and Yemen from bases in Djibouti, a tiny African nation at the junction of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. In addition, the CIA is building a secret airstrip in the Arabian Peninsula so it can deploy armed drones over Yemen.

The rapid expansion of the undeclared drone wars is a reflection of the growing alarm with which U.S. officials view the activities of al-Qaeda affiliates in Yemen and Somalia, even as al-Qaeda’s core leadership in Pakistan has been weakened by U.S. counterterrorism operations.

The U.S. government is known to have used drones to carry out lethal attacks in at least six countries: Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen. The negotiations that preceded the establishment of the base in the Republic of Seychelles illustrate the efforts the United States is making to broaden the range of its drone weapons.

 

Questa strategia ha come obiettivo quello di prevenire "l'appropiazione" di uno stato da parte di una qualsiasti entità terroristica. Si cerca cioè di evitare quello che è accaduto con l'Afghanistan.

Così gli USA cercano di evitare che l'Africa diventi il prossimo santuario di Al Quaeda Secret drone bases: Avoiding past mistakes

[TT-1 Pinto]

Il nuovo CSM dell'USAF ....

 

.... dopo l'alt imposto da un senatore .... Welsh viene confermato nell'incarico ....

 

Welsh confirmed as next USAF chief ....

Fonte - - http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/welsh-confirmed-as-next-usaf-chief-375098/

 

 

Inoltre ....

 

http://www.airforce-magazine.com/DRArchive/Pages/2012/August%202012/August%2003%202012/pix080312welsh.aspx

 

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123312562

 

http://www.stripes.com/news/with-cornyn-satisfied-welsh-is-confirmed-as-af-chief-of-staff-1.184712

 

[-{-Legolas-}-]

Segnalo un articolo in cui viene spiegato che l'Air Force vuole estendere la vita dei suoi Eagle a 18.000, per il modello "C", e a 32.000 per il modello "E", impiantargli radar, sistema di contromisure DEWS, display nuovi e fibre ottiche.

 

Io adoro questo aereo!

 

Buona fortuna all'Air Force!

 

Fonte: defensetech.org

 

[Andrea75]

Why US needs airpower diplomacy

 

Better use of the U.S. Air Force is the most cost-effective and flexible approach to boosting the American presence in the Asia-Pacific.

...

What makes affording a shift to the region particularly difficult is the fact that the Asia-Pacific’s distances make operating in the region much more expensive than operating in the West. By contrast, Europe is a rather compact continent where the distance between Washington, DC, and Berlin is closer to half that of Los Angeles to Beijing. To make matters more challenging, existing U.S. bases in Japan and Korea, for example, are among the United States’ most expensive—even with significant financial support from the host nation. And to make matters even more difficult, in some cases, local populations no longer support a permanent American presence.

These challenges impose a difficult set of requirements on a new U.S. strategy for the Asia-Pacific. Such a strategy should demonstrate that it relies on U.S. assets best able to overcome the challenges of distance; it must prove cost effective; and it is sensitive to the domestic and strategic position of partner nations. One approach is particularly well suited to overcoming these challenges.

Airpower diplomacy, also known as building partnerships by the U.S. Air Force, offers some distinct advantages over any alternatives. Best thought of as the non-kinetic application of air, space, and cyber power, airpower diplomacy is a form of soft power that’s useful in strengthening existing relationships and developing new ones—while protecting American interests. The U.S. Air Force has successfully employed airpower diplomacy in one iteration or another for more than six decades. Its strengths are in three distinct areas.

First, airpower, broadly speaking, is able to overcome the distances that make the Asia-Pacific such a challenging region.

Second, airpower diplomacy is a cost-effective alternative to the use of force.

Third, airpower and airpower diplomacy don’t require permanent large footprint bases that are both expensive for the United States and a political irritant for many governments in the region.

[TT-1 Pinto]

Programmi a rischio di tagli ....

 

U.S. House Report Lists Multitude of Weapons Programs Sequestration Would Hit ....

 

F-35, Stryker, Tanker and New USAF Bomber Among Systems Projected To Feel Cuts.

 

Unless lawmakers find a way to prevent a $53 billion cut to planned defense spending for 2013, the U.S. military services would be forced to buy fewer F-35 fighters, Stryker vehicles and Army helicopters, says a House panel.

Whats more, the pending cut could jeopardize the Air Forces plans for new tanker and bomber fleets.

Fonte .... http://www.defensenews.com/article/20121009/DEFREG02/310090015/U-S-House-Report-Lists-Multitude-Weapons-Programs-Sequestration-Would-Hit?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE

 

Il documento "Caro Collega" dello "House Appropriations Committee (HAC) Democrats" (fonte: Air Force Association) .... http://www.airforce-magazine.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Reports/2012/October%202012/Day11/HAC_D_Sequestration_100912.pdf

Modificato 11 Ottobre 2012 da TT-1 Pinto

[TT-1 Pinto]

Tutti insieme appassionatamente .... prima dell'uragano ....

 

 

 

 

Andersen AFB, Guam, 5 Ottobre 2012 ....

 

.... un F-22 "Raptor", un F-16 "Fighting Falcon" e un B-52H "Stratofortress" fotografati all'interno di un hangar prima dell'arrivo di un uragano ....

 

 

 

La base ....

 

 

La zona dei grandi hangars ....

[Andrea75]

Un nuovo distaccamento in Polonia U.S. Establishes Full-time Aviation Detachment in Poland

 

U.S. officials praised the long-standing relationship with Poland as they celebrated the first full-time U.S. military presence in that nation today.

During a ceremony at Lask Air Base, located about 100 miles southwest of Warsaw, U.S. Air Force personnel flew the American flag, marking the establishment of a small unit dedicated to supporting multi-national aviation training and exercises. The ten personnel of the detachment will be joined by up to 200 visiting airmen conducting quarterly training rotations.

...

The arrival of the 10-man team at the base represents “a new kind of U.S. ‘boots on the ground’ here in Poland,” said Derek Chollet, the assistant secretary of defense for international security affairs. Chollet represented Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta at the ceremony.

“The alliance between the United States and Poland is rooted in shared history, shared values and deep ties among our people, cemented through NATO and the ironclad commitment to Article 5,” Chollet said. “The Polish people have been our partners for over two centuries, and since joining the NATO alliance in 1999, your troops have been shoulder-to-shoulder with ours in the Balkans, in Iraq and in Afghanistan.”

The personnel in Lask will provide continuity for U.S. personnel rotating in and out of Poland, defense officials said. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon and C-130 Hercules units will form the core of the U.S. presence. The personnel at the detachment will report to the 52nd Fighter Wing, based at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany.

[TT-1 Pinto]

-

 

La Russia non ha ancora cominciato a strepitare ? ....

 

 

Modificato 12 Novembre 2012 da TT-1 Pinto

[Andrea75]

nel 2009 è stato redatto questo paper Alternatives for Modernizing U.S. Fighter Forces

 

lo riprendo solo per questa considerazione Why the US Air Force needs the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

 

This week’s graph is a case of a picture that is worth $200 billion. Produced by the US Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in 2009, it shows the number of tactical aircraft procured by the US Air Force (USAF) every year since 1975, and the average age of aircraft in the inventory.

From 1978 to 1991, when production of the F-15 and F-16 ‘teen series’ strike fighters and the A-10 attack aircraft were in full swing, the annual buy averaged well over 100 aircraft. In terms of maintenance of overall fleet size and modernity, that was about ‘break even’. As the graph shows (click to enlarge), the average age of aircraft in the fleet hovered around 11 years throughout that period.

But from 1992 onwards, as production of the 1970s designs ramped down, the average age of the fleet began a steady upwards climb, reaching 20 years a few years ago. The delivery of 187 F-22s between 2002 and 2009 had essentially no impact on that trend. (Incidentally, the RAAF’s 71 1980s vintage Hornets and 24 brand new Super Hornets produce about the same average age).

 

 

To put it bluntly, the USAF is at risk of ageing itself out of competitiveness. And its options for remediation are limited. It could produce more teen series aircraft (as at least one USAF officer argues, PDF), which has the benefits of assuredness of design but the drawback of potential diminishing relative capability. That’s always a possibility, and Boeing is waiting in the wings with its ‘Silent Eagle’ F-15 derivative, but it’s not a plan likely to appeal to a service that has built its business model around state of the art technology. (Although I argued at the 2010 Airpower conference that technology at all costs might not be the right approach in circumstances when capacity as well as capability is important.)

The net result is that the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, as the only new design on offer, is really the only option for recapitalising the ageing fleet while keeping near the leading edge of aviation technology. That’s why the slippage of the program has caused a lot of angst for the Pentagon and the American and other services waiting for it—the 2009 CBO report envisaged the F-35 entering service with the USAF in 2013 (it won’t) and being in steady state production of 80 a year by 2015 (it won’t be). But it’s also why there’s no real risk of the program being scrapped even in an austere fiscal environment, although it may be scaled back.

As a final comment, the US Navy is in a much better position. When the ‘classic’ Hornet production line was wound down in the 90s, the Super Hornet came along as a ready made replacement. That production line is still open, and the USN can always buy more of those if it needs to. Even so, their fleet average age has crept up from 10 to 14 years since 1995. (See below.)

 

[Andrea75]

... massiccia nomina di generali General Officer Announcements

 

Secretary of Defense Leon E. Panetta announced today that the President has made the following nominations:

 

Air Force Maj. Gen. Gregory A. Biscone for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general and for assignment as chief, Office of the Defense Representative-Pakistan (ODR-P), U.S. Central Command, U.S. Embassy, Islamabad, Pakistan. Biscone is currently serving as director, global operations, Headquarters, U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Neb.

 

Air Force Brig. Gen. William B. Binger has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general and for assignment as commander, 10th Air Force, Air Force Reserve Command, Naval Air Station-Joint Reserve Base, Fort Worth, Texas.

 

Air Force Brig. Gen. Keith D. Kries has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general and for assignment as mobilization assistant to the commander, 8th Air Force, Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, La.

 

Air Force Brig. Gen. Maryanne Miller has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general and for assignment as deputy director for partnership strategy, Joint Staff, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

 

Air Force Brig. Gen. Jane C. Rohr has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general and for assignment as mobilization assistant to the commander, Air Force Space Command, Peterson Air Force Base, Colo.

 

Air Force Brig. Gen. Patricia A. Rose has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general and for assignment as mobilization assistant to the commander, Air Force Materiel Command, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio.

 

Air Force Brig. Gen. Jocelyn M. Seng has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general and for assignment as military deputy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

 

Air Force Brig. Gen. Sheila Zuehlke has been nominated for appointment to the rank of major general and for assignment as mobilization assistant to the commander, U.S. Cyber Command; director, National Security Agency; and chief, Central Security Service, Fort George G. Meade, Md.

 

Air Force Col. Lisa A. Naftzger-Kang has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general and for assignment as mobilization assistant to the assistant Air Force surgeon general, Medical Force Development, and assistant Air Force surgeon general, nursing services, Office of the Surgeon General, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, Washington, D.C.

 

Air Force Col. Stephanie A. Gass has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general and for assignment as director of manpower, personnel and services, Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command, Robins Air Force Base, Ga.

 

Air Force Col. Mary H. Hittmeier has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general and for assignment as mobilization assistant to the commander, and vice commander, Air Force Recruiting Service, Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.

 

Air Force Col. Timothy P. Kelly has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general and for assignment as deputy director, plans and policy, U.S. European Command, Stuttgart-Vaihingen, Germany.

 

Air Force Col. Thomas E. Kittler has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general and for assignment as mobilization assistant to the vice commander, 3rd Air Force, Ramstein Air Base, Germany.

 

Air Force Col. Kenneth R. LaPierre has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general and for assignment as mobilization assistant to the director of logistics, Headquarters Air Combat Command, Joint Base Langley-Eustis, Va.

 

Air Force Col. Mark L. Loeben has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general and for assignment as mobilization assistant to the director, Legislative Liaison, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

 

Air Force Col. James F. Mackey has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general and for assignment as mobilization assistant to the vice commander, 13th Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Joint Base Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

 

Air Force Col. Walter J. Sams has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general and for assignment as mobilization assistant to the commander, 1st Air Force, Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla.

 

Air Force Col. Christopher F. Skomars has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general and for assignment as deputy director of installations, logistics and mission support, Headquarters Air Force Global Strike Command, Barksdale Air Force Base, La.

 

Air Force Col. Wade R. Smith has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general and for assignment as mobilization assistant to the director, Defense Contract Management Agency, Alexandria, Va.

 

Air Force Col. Mark D. Stillwagon has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general and for assignment as mobilization assistant to the commander, Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Agency, Joint Base San Antonio, Texas.

 

Air Force Col. Curtis L. Williams has been nominated for appointment to the rank of brigadier general and for assignment as assistant deputy director, Politico-Military Affairs for Africa, Joint Staff, J-5, Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

[TT-1 Pinto]

Il "Daily Report" dell'AFA di ieri segnalava l'imminente ridimensionamento del contingente USAF a Lajes Field nelle Isole Azzorre ....

 

 

Same Mission, Fewer Hands for Lajes ....

 

The Air Force is cutting personnel at Lajes Field, Azores, reducing its contingent there from a wing down to a group to meet Pentagon cost-cutting demands, announced Lajes officials on Thursday.

 

"Lajes Field's strategic mission is important and valuable, and will not change, but the footprint with which we accomplish our mission will," said Col. Chris Bargery ....

 

http://www.lajes.af.mil/library/biographies/bio.asp?id=15815

 

.... commander of Lajes' 65th Air Base Wing, in a Dec. 13 release.

 

http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123329847

 

"The US force posture is being adjusted to meet fiscal challenges, while maintaining a strong, capable relationship with our Portuguese allies," he added.

 

Along with the wing's transition to a group, 400 uniformed personnel and 500 dependents will depart the installation by the end of Fiscal 2014, states the release.

 

Those moves are expected to save $35 million annually, according to base officials.

 

As part of these changes, the Air Force plans to close Lajes' Defense Department school and disallow airmen from bringing their families on one-year tours to the Azores after 2014.

.... cosa che, già dai primi del mese, aveva suscitato il disappunto del governo portoghese ....

 

http://www.portugaldailyview.com/whats-new/azores-portugal-unsatisfied-with-us-military-reductions

 

http://www.peprobe.net/library/we-suggest/news-a-facts/5257-government-proposes-us-meeting-to-discuss-lajes-cut-backs

 

 

Inoltre .... circola da tempo la notizia che la Cina abbia messo gli occhi su tale importante aeroporto ....

 

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/332454/red-flag-over-atlantic-gordon-g-chang#

 

http://bermudasun.bm/main.asp?SectionID=24&SubSectionID=270&ArticleID=61801

[Andrea75]

Eclipse Submits RFI to USAF Request for Very Light Jet Fleet http://www.defense-aerospace.com/article-view/release/141453/eclipse-submits-rfi-to-usaf-request-for-very-light-jet-fleet.html

 

 

Eclipse Aerospace responded today to the U.S. Air Force's Request for Information (RFI) for a large fleet of Very Light Jets (VLJ) to support their Specialized Undergraduate Pilot Training (SUPT) Multi-place Training Track. Eclipse Aerospace's proposed solution could save 13 million gallons of jet fuel per year.

Currently operating a 20 year old fleet of legacy business jets that has become increasingly expensive to support and maintain, the Air Force is examining innovative industry approaches to meeting SUPT syllabus requirements in a more affordable and cost effective manner.

Mason Holland, Eclipse's CEO stated "I have met with senior Air Force leaders and they are looking for an efficient and affordable solution to their challenges. Eclipse is offering an innovative and quickly implementable alternative. In our response to the RFI we have proposed a solution that is expected to save the USAF hundreds of millions of dollars over the next ten years while upgrading their fleet with the most efficient and technologically advanced light jet currently in production."

"Our submittal," Holland continued, "was fully responsive to the Air Force's request. It shows that the Eclipse Jet meets and/or exceeds all of the SUPT syllabus requirements. More important, from a budgetary viewpoint, our response demonstrates how the USAF can save over one Billion dollars of O&M costs over ten years by converting to an Eclipse Jet fleet." The Eclipse Jet is 70% more fuel-efficient and 70% less costly to support than the current SUPT legacy aircraft.

As the largest consumer of jet fuel in the U.S. Government, the Air Force is seeking ways to reduce their fuel consumption and operating costs. By converting the SUPT program to the Eclipse Jet, the USAF could save 130 million gallons of jet fuel over 10 years.

"The Eclipse Jet is the perfect airplane for this Air Force mission," said Eclipse Aerospace Co-Founder Mike Press, a retired Air Force Colonel. "The Air Force is looking for significant savings and affordable solutions in this very tight budget environment and the Eclipse Jet is the only light jet that can meet the mission requirements, while at the same time providing the significant cost savings in fuel and operational support that the Air Force needs. At today's cost of jet fuel, fuel costs alone for this program would decrease by more than $500 million."