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News•Feb 27, 2026
Air Guard Cuts Tactical Air Control Units, Adds Cyber Operators
The Air National Guard will deactivate the 177th Air Control Squadron in Georgia and cut 83 positions across Georgia and Iowa, converting those roles to cyber operations. New cyber squadrons will be established at Fort Gordon, Ga., and the 132nd Wing in Des Moines, Iowa. The shift is driven by the FY‑25 budget’s emphasis on technology, including the lightweight Tactical Operations Center‑Light (TOC‑L) that replaces bulky control centers. Full operational capability for the cyber units is targeted for 2030.
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 27, 2026
Space Force’s Top Guardians Share Their Stories
The Space Force held its fourth Polaris Awards ceremony at the AFA Warfare Symposium, honoring Guardians who exemplified the service’s core values of Character, Connection, Commitment, and Courage. Winners included Maj. Adriane Payn, who prevented a $300,000 loss by fixing...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 26, 2026
Orbital Warfare Unit Gets Live Satellite to Practice Maneuvers
Guardians in the Space Force’s orbital warfare unit, Mission Delta 9, received a live satellite launched on Feb 12 as part of the USSF‑87 mission, giving them a realistic platform for offensive and defensive space‑maneuver training. The new asset replaces earlier on‑orbit...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 26, 2026
F-47 Still ‘Doing Exceptionally Well,’ on Track for 2028 Flight
The U.S. Air Force says the sixth‑generation F‑47 fighter remains on schedule for its first flight in 2028, just three years after Boeing won the contract. Gen. Dale White praised Boeing’s rapid personnel ramp‑up and highlighted the aircraft’s projected combat...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 26, 2026
Space Force in Final Test Phase for Second GBOSS Radar Upgrade
Space Force is moving the upgraded Ground‑Based Optical Sensor (GBOSS) into operational testing at its second site in Maui, Hawaii, after the first configuration at White Sands Missile Range was approved. The modernized telescope doubles field of view, scans faster,...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 25, 2026
Revealed From Space: China’s Biggest Red Sword Exercise and a Rapid Industrial Buildup
China’s People’s Liberation Army Air Force conducted its largest Red Sword exercise in late 2025, mobilising roughly 200‑250 aircraft across eight western bases and a 1,200‑nautical‑mile area. Satellite imagery revealed a massive buildup of infrastructure, including 60,000 sq ft of new hangars...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 25, 2026
AMC Still Open to Wide Range of Options for New Tanker, Including Family of Systems
Lt. Gen. Rebecca J. Sonkiss said the Air Force’s Next‑Generation Air Refueling System (NGAS) could evolve into a family of systems with varied capabilities. The Air Mobility Command is keeping all options open, from stealth airframes to blended‑wing bodies and...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 25, 2026
Space Force Moving to Upgrade Its Elements of Long-Range Kill Chains
The U.S. Space Force announced a push to modernize the data‑transport and battle‑management components of long‑range kill chains, a critical capability for future high‑intensity conflicts. Leaders highlighted System Delta 85, established in August 2025, as the hub for space domain...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 24, 2026
Lohmeier: Next Budget Will Fund ‘Year of Readiness’ in Fiscal ’27
Air Force Undersecretary Matthew Lohmeier announced that the FY 2027 budget will be framed as a “year of readiness,” directing billions to foundational accounts such as spare parts, flying‑hour funding, facility sustainment, and enterprise IT. The budget aligns with President Trump’s proposed...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 24, 2026
Meink Lays Out New Vision for Acquisition
Secretary Troy E. Meink announced the creation of 27 Portfolio Acquisition Executives (PAEs) – 18 for the Air Force and nine for the Space Force – to give a single leader end‑to‑end authority over requirements, development, and sustainment. The new...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 24, 2026
Space Force Starts Briefing Stakeholders on 15-Year Vision
The U.S. Space Force unveiled the prototype of its 15‑year force structure roadmap, detailing expected systems, support and personnel through 2040. Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman highlighted three core mission areas—navigation warfare, space domain awareness, and satellite communications—and...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 24, 2026
CCAs Start Carrying Inert Missiles, Live Fire Shots Expected Later This Year
The U.S. Air Force has equipped its Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) prototypes – General Atomics' YFQ-42A and Anduril's YFQ-44A – with inert AIM‑120 missiles, marking the first weapons‑carriage milestone for the uncrewed fighter program. Live‑fire testing is scheduled for later...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 21, 2026
DIU Eyes First Launch for Its Commercial Hypersonic Testbed
The Defense Innovation Unit’s Hypersonic High‑Cadence Advanced Testing (HyCAT) program is preparing its second flight, slated for late February, to launch the Australian‑built DART AE scramjet testbed aboard Rocket Lab’s HASTE sub‑orbital launcher. The mission will fly from Wallops Island...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 20, 2026
Boeing Adds Production Line to Boost Space Force’s Missile Warning Push
Boeing has inaugurated a 9,000‑square‑foot electro‑optical infrared (EO/IR) production line at its El Segundo satellite facility to support the Space Force’s Resilient Missile Warning and Tracking (MWT) program. The line will help Millennium Space Systems deliver 12 medium‑Earth‑orbit satellites by 2027,...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine