United States Air Force

(Newser) - The US Army, Navy and Air Force were surprised Tuesday to learn they'd been advertising thousands of jobs on GLEE.com, a gay networking website included in job-listing giant Monster.com's "diversity and inclusion" package. The website is at odds with the military's exclusionary "don't ask, don't tell" policy, which bars openly homosexual people from the armed services, USA Today writes. More »

(Newser) - The Air Force's second-ranked procurement official was found dead in an apparent suicide Sunday night, the Washington Post reports. Charles Riechers was under investigation for pay he received from a private consulting firm for which he apparently did no work, as well as a potential conflict of interest in a $1.2-billion contract he awarded to Boeing. More »

(Newser) - The US Marine Corps is lobbying to be withdrawn from Iraq and instead be given the lead role in Afghanistan, reports the New York Times . The move would leave the Army with primary responsibility for the increasingly unpopular war in Iraq. Supporters believe it would allow the branches to operate more efficiently in operations that are straining resources.  More »

(Newser) - In a parade flanked by missiles and homegrown fighter jets, Iran unequivocally responded to the West's indirect threats of force against the Islamic nation's nuclear ambitions: "Our message to the enemies is: Do not do it," said the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard. "They will regret it, as they are regretting it in Iraq." More »

(Newser) - An Iraqi group linked to al-Qaeda says it will release video about an Air Force pilot the US declared dead last year, Reuters reports. The group's statement termed the airman “missing,” and was accompanied by an image of Troy Gilbert’s military ID. The pilot was declared dead in a November 2006 crash after human remains were found on the scene. More »

(Newser) - British fighter jets intercepted eight Russian recon bombers today as they approached British airspace in the latest long-distance forays to display Vladimir Putin's renewed virility in air power. Authorities said the aircraft did not enter British airspace, the Guardian writes. Norwegian planes monitored the same eight bombers in international airspace north of Norway. More »

(Newser) - Five nuclear warheads were briefly unaccounted for last week, the Military Times reports, when the warheads were not removed from missiles carried by a B-52 bomber prior to its flight from North Dakota to Louisiana. Though the weapons were in Air Force control at all times and there was no danger to the public, an investigation is under way. More »

(Newser) - The Air Force captain who was allegedly stalked and attacked by Lisa Nowak testified today she is still afraid of the ex-astronaut. At a pretrial hearing in Orlando, Colleen Shipman told the court she would feel more comfortable if Nowak continues wearing an ankle monitor that tracks her location, the Sentinel reports, in case Nowak tries to come near her. More »

(Newser) - New enemies are hovering over America's unmanned drone aircraft—branches of the US armed forces battling each other for control of the high-tech flyers. The Air Force is lobbying Congress for exclusive control over purchasing and developing the spy planes, a move opposed by the Army, Navy and Marines.  More »

(Newser) - In a resumption of some of the tension reminiscent of the Cold War and a message to the US, Russian President Vladimir Putin has relaunched long-range Russian bomber patrols after a 15-year hiatus. Fourteen bombers took off yesterday just days after Russian jets buzzed the skies off Guam and began exercises over the North Pole. More »

(Newser) - A Defense agency has developed an on-board flight system that connects an airplane to a re-fueling aircraft without the need for a human pilot, allowing unmanned fighter jets to remain in the air longer. The technology uses exact inertial, GPS, and video measurements to latch a probe into a 32-inch basket trailed behind a tanker. More »