June 18, 2024 | By
John A. Tirpak Initial operational capability for the B-52J—the new designation for the bomber after extensive re-engining and upgrade programs—won’t be achieved until 2033. The three-year delay is due to issues both with its new engines and new radar, the Government Accountability Office said in a new report.
June 18, 2024 | By
Greg Hadley The Air Force and Lockheed Martin announced their first test of a new reentry vehicle that is planned to go atop the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile. The operational test launch of an unarmed Mk21A took place late June 17 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. ...
June 18, 2024 | By
Greg Hadley Multiple B-2 bombers flew to the Pacific last week to participate in a large-scale joint exercise around Guam, Palau, and the Northern Mariana Islands. During the deployment, the stealthy bombers landed on Guam for the first time in years.
June 18, 2024 | By
Greg Hadley The Air Force believes it needs 24 Deployable Combat Wings to meet its rotational demands and have a cushion for times of crisis, Lt. Gen. Adrian L. Spain, deputy chief of staff for operations, said June 18. That number offers a new goal for the service to aim ...
Read the day's top news on the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, Department of Defense, and national security issues.
June 17, 2024 | By
Greg Hadley Air Force B-52 bombers roared over the Arabian Peninsula twice last week, flying alongside an American MC-130J and allied fighters during bomber task force missions.
June 17, 2024 | By
John A. Tirpak The Senate Armed Service Committee's mark of the 2025 defense policy bill includes 17 programmatic changes or demands for reports or assessments focused on strengthening the nation’s nuclear arsenal, as deterrence becomes a multipolar competition requiring new thinking.
June 17, 2024 | By
David Roza After 100 days as Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, David Flosi says Airmen are excited about the shift to become “mission ready,” though more resources are needed to help them get there.
June 17, 2024 | By
Greg Hadley The Space Force’s planned constellation of missile warning/missile tracking satellites in medium-Earth orbit took a small hit June 17, as the service canceled a contract for three space vehicles due to rising costs and schedule delays. Space Systems Command notified RTX, formerly called Raytheon, that it ...
June 17, 2024
Capt. Jeffrey Kinsey, 910th Logistics Readiness Squadron commander, lwith his youngest daughter during the opening remarks of his assumption of command ceremony at Youngstown Air Reserve Station, Ohio, April 6, 2024.
Read the day's top news on the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, Department of Defense, and national security issues.
June 14, 2024 | By
John A. Tirpak The Senate Armed Services Committee finished its markup of the fiscal 2025 National Defense Authorization bill on June 14, with mandates on more than a dozen aircraft or related programs and a keen interest in the future of the Air Force fighter fleet.
June 14, 2024 | By
Greg Hadley The Air Force will do away with operations and maintenance groups, the level of command between wings and squadrons, Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin told reporters June 14—one part of a major change in how the service will deploy and project power, though ...
June 14, 2024 | By
Unshin Lee Harpley The Space Force is moving to up competition for its most important launches, selecting Blue Origin, SpaceX, and United Launch Alliance (ULA) to take part in the next phase of its National Security Space Launch (NSSL) program. ULA and SpaceX were already part of NSSL ...
June 14, 2024 | By
David Roza A leading expert on China sees no evidence that the country is on a high-end war footing or heading towards one, though the situation is much different in the low-intensity space of cyber operations and economic and political interference.
In a world where nuclear weapons continue to proliferate, it’s easy to forget sometimes that our own nuclear readiness is a foundational element of our national security. Indeed, it is every bit as vital to national security today as it was during the Cold War, ...
Read the day's top news on the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Space Force, Department of Defense, and national security issues.
June 13, 2024 | By
John A. Tirpak Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin didn't offer certain support for the Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter at a June 13 Air & Space Forces Association event, saying the future air superiority platform is merely one choice among many the service will ...
June 13, 2024 | By
Greg Hadley Air Combat Command is “transitioning into a different type of command” focused more on readiness than developing requirements or presenting forces to combatant commanders, Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin said, part of a major shift in how the Air Force manages its structure.
June 13, 2024 | By
Unshin Lee Harpley Ukraine is poised to get its first F-16 fighters in the next few months, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. confirmed June 13, in a move that would bolster Kyiv’s air capabilities against Russia.