Inside the Air Force highlights

Some must-reads from this week's issue of Inside the Air Force:

1. Lockheed Martin is making progress on a bridge capability that would allow the legacy GPS ground system to operate new GPS III satellites until the delayed Next-Generation Operational Control Segment is delivered.

Full story: Air Force: GPS OCX bridge capability nearly 40 percent complete

2. The Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program office and Boeing are working on ways to drive costs down during the 18-month preliminary design phase, which is slated to begin after a contract award in September.

Full story: Air Force mulling further changes to PAR during preliminary design

3. The Air Force Research Laboratory's 711th Human Performance Wing is continuing its investigation of the F-35 Onboard Oxygen-Generating System and plans to begin comparison testing later this month with one of the systems used by a pilot who experienced physiological symptoms at Luke Air Force Base, AZ.

Full story: AFRL to start F-35A OBOGS comparison testing later this month

4. Former top Defense Department weapons testers are concerned a new bureaucratic shake-up, combined with the possible departure of Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-AZ), could weaken their former office's influence on decisions to procure multibillion-dollar weapon systems.

Full story: Plan to restructure DOD acquisition sparks concern among former weapons testers