John Reed

John Reed was an associate editor at Inside Defense until October 2009.

Connections
Archived Articles
The Insider | February 6, 2009

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology recently released the results of a Federal Aviation Administration-sponsored study looking into the feasibility of using alternative fuels for civil and military aviation and the results (no surprise here) weren't pretty.

The Insider | February 5, 2009

The Air National Guard finally got its new boss on Tuesday when Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz and National Guard Bureau Director Gen. Craig McKinley pinned three stars on Lt. Gen. Harry Wyatt during a Pentagon ceremony marking Wyatt's promotion to director of the ANG.

The Insider | January 30, 2009

After more than a year's worth of discussions, Air Force officials have decided to scrap their once-vaunted plan to build a multibillion-dollar coal-to-liquids (CTL) synthetic jet fuel refinery at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana.

The Insider | January 21, 2009

Air Force officials have delayed the decision on whether to built a privately owned coal-to-liquids refinery on unused land at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, service officials tell Inside the Air Force.

The Insider | December 5, 2008

The Air Force late today issued yet another amendment to its solicitation for the still-in-limbo Combat Search-and-Rescue Helicopter Replacement Program.

Daily News | November 21, 2008

The Pentagon's top acquisition official this week questioned the urgency with which the Air Force is pursuing its combat search-and-rescue replacement helicopter program as the next administration prepares to take over.

Daily News | November 19, 2008

Members of the House Armed Services air land subcommittee today accused Pentagon acquisition chief John Young of flaunting the law and fostering an end to F-22A Raptor purchases by moving to purchase parts for only four jets instead of the congressionally mandated 20.

Daily News | October 31, 2008

Pentagon acquisition chief John Young this week took an ominous-sounding swipe at the Air Force, saying he and his boss -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates -- are displeased with the way the service is handling the $15 billion combat search-and-rescue helicopter replacement (CSAR-X) competition after a problem with the request for proposals has led the service to again delay the program's contract award date by six months.

Daily News | September 26, 2008

A "split buy" in the embattled KC-X tanker competition would have no benefit to the military and would result in billions of dollars in cost increases, Defense Secretary Robert Gates wrote last week in a letter to Rep. Ike Skelton (D-MO), chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

Daily News | September 24, 2008

The $700 billion taxpayer-financed bailout package the Bush administration has proposed for Wall Street will compound pressures on the federal budget and force reductions to military spending, Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), the chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee, predicted in an exclusive interview with InsideDefense.com.

Daily News | September 3, 2008

Air Mobility Command chief Gen. Arthur Lichte said today that he is open to a split buy between the Northrop-EADS KC-30 and Boeing's KC-767 for the Air Force's $35 billion KC-X tanker contract if the service is given enough money to support such a purchase. He cautioned however, that such a move is not in the taxpayer's best interest.

Daily News | August 27, 2008

Air Force acquisition leaders are discussing a new multiyear C-130J purchase with Lockheed Martin to follow the current 62-plane deal, which wraps up in September.

Daily News | August 25, 2008

Air Force investigators say the grounding of the F-15 Eagle fleet last year could have played a role in February's fatal collision of two F-15Cs over the Gulf of Mexico, according the service's accident report on the crash.

Daily News | August 20, 2008

North American Aerospace Defense Command's top general acknowledged today that after months of lobbying from NATO and U.S. officials, Moscow had filed flight plans with the Federal Aviation Administration before a recent long-range aviation patrol near the Alaskan coast.

Daily News | July 28, 2008

The Air Force's top energy official resigned today claiming he can no longer do his job because of recent changes to the service's leadership. The departure of William Anderson comes as a blow to the service's highly publicized push to adopt coal-based synthetic jet fuel by 2016.

Daily News | July 22, 2008

Acting Air Force Secretary Michael Donley told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee today that one of his top priorities is garnering bridge funding to keep the F-22A fighter production line open through 2010 should Congress leave future Raptor procurement in the hands of the next president.

Daily News | July 11, 2008

Congress has approved a Pentagon reprogramming request to shift nearly $43 million toward buying long-lead items for the B-2A Stealth bomber's radar modernization program.

Daily News | April 18, 2008

Pentagon acquisition czar John Young today dismissed lawmakers' threats to cut funding for the $35 billion Northrop Grumman-EADS KC-30 aircraft which beat rival Boeing in the hotly contested KC-X tanker competition.

Daily News | March 30, 2008

The Defense Department recently awarded the much-anticipated Airborne-Maritime-Fixed station version of the Joint Tactical Radio System contract to a Lockheed Martin-led team, Pentagon officials announced late in the afternoon March 28.

Daily News | March 26, 2008

The Pentagon is expected to award the much-anticipated Airborne-Maritime-Fixed station version of the Joint Tactical Radio System contract Friday, a source tells Inside the Air Force.

Not a subscriber? Sign up for 30 days free access to exclusive, behind-the-scenes reporting on defense policy and procurement.