Space Force Study Recommends Third Heavy Launch Site
The Space Force’s recent infrastructure study recommends adding a third heavy‑lift launch site to accommodate a projected surge to over 700 launches by 2036. Current Cape Canaveral and Vandenberg facilities are nearing capacity limits, especially for heavy and super‑heavy missions. The study, mandated by the FY2026 NDAA, is still under review, and specific locations have not been disclosed. Congress has earmarked $1.3 billion through FY2028, with a FY27 request for an additional $2.2 billion to fund new launch infrastructure.
SDA Director Drops ‘Acting’ Label and Adds All Missile Warning to Portfolio
After eight months serving as acting chief, Gurpartap “GP” Sandhoo was confirmed as the permanent director of the Space Development Agency and appointed as the Space Force’s portfolio acquisition executive for all missile‑warning and tracking programs. The dual role supports...
Air Force Pauses All T-38 Trainer Flights, a Week After Alabama Crash
The U.S. Air Force announced a fleet‑wide pause on all T‑38 Talon trainer flights on May 19, a week after a routine training mission over Alabama ended in an ejection. The grounding applies to units across multiple commands and follows...
Air Force Special Ops Pushes Forward with ‘Swiss Army Knife’ OA-1K
Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) is advancing the OA-1K "Skyraider II" combat scout aircraft amid a shrinking fleet and rising mission demand. The program, built by L3Harris, has delivered its 18th airframe and will begin operational testing later this...
New Air-to-Air Missile Photographed in Testing at Eglin
A previously secret AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile (JATM) was photographed during a test flight at Eglin Air Force Base. The images show the missile mounted on an F/A-18F Super Hornet and a second aircraft carrying an inert version, confirming...
New Golden Dome ‘Ecosystem Hub’ Will Vet New Tech, Monitor Industrial Base
The Pentagon’s Golden Dome program has launched an "Ecosystem Hub" to streamline how companies pitch technologies for its missile‑defense architecture. The hub serves as a single entry point, vetting proposals for cyber security and supply‑chain risks while granting cleared firms...
F-35 Delays Drove Boost to Air Force’s F-15EX Buy
The Air Force has more than doubled its planned F-15EX Eagle II fleet, raising the FY2027 purchase from 129 to 267 aircraft. The move stems from delays in the F-35’s Technology Refresh 3 and Block 4 upgrades, which left the service short of...
USAF to Buy Thousands of New Radios to Help Rescue Downed Pilots
The U.S. Air Force will begin purchasing the Next‑Generation Survivor Radio (NGSR) in 2027, allocating $96 million to acquire 6,868 handheld radios, spares, and support equipment. Developed by General Dynamics, the software‑defined device replaces the 2006‑era Combat Survivor Evader Locator radio...
Air Force Plans to Set New Goal for B-21 Fleet Size in 2028 Budget
The Air Force is expected to propose a higher B‑21 Raider fleet size in the FY 2028 budget, moving beyond the current minimum of 100 aircraft. Senior leaders, including Deputy Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. David Tabor and Defense Secretary Pete...
To Replace Lost MQ-9s, USAF Eyes Next-Gen Reaper
The U.S. Air Force reported losing roughly two dozen MQ‑9A Reaper drones during the early phase of Operation Epic Fury against Iran. With the MQ‑9A production line shut down in 2025, the service is scrambling for short‑term replacements, eyeing the...
US Space Command, Allies Crafting Ops Plan for Orbital Warfare
U.S. Space Command and a coalition of seven allies—including the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Germany, France and New Zealand—are drafting a joint concept of operations to defend orbital assets, with a target completion date by the end of 2024. The...
Air Combat Command to Take Over Fighter and Drone Pilot Training
The U.S. Air Force will shift formal training units for the F‑35, F‑16 and MQ‑9 from Air Education and Training Command (AETC) to Air Combat Command (ACC) this summer. ACC will embed operational combat tactics directly into the training pipeline,...
Pentagon Says US Has Spent Around $29B on Iran Operations, Full Cost Remains Unclear
U.S. Defense officials told Congress the Pentagon’s current estimate for the Iran conflict stands at roughly $29 billion, a $4 billion rise from the figure disclosed two weeks earlier. The tally covers operational costs, munitions and equipment replacement but omits repair of...
Drone-Killing Drone: Air Force Tests APKWS Laser-Guided Rockets on MQ-9
The U.S. Air Force and General Atomics successfully tested laser‑guided Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS) rockets launched from an MQ‑9A Reaper drone at the Nevada Test and Training Range. All shots, including hits on aerial targets, were successful, proving...
Pentagon Relents, Seeks Funds for E-7 Wedgetail
The Pentagon has filed a budget amendment to restore funding for the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail, the planned replacement for the aging E-3 AWACS, in the FY2027 request. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told the House Appropriations Committee the aircraft remains...
Space Force to Overhaul Key Early Warning, Surveillance Radars Around the World
The U.S. Space Force announced a Ground Based Radar Digitization (GBRD) effort to modernize eight legacy missile‑warning and space‑surveillance radars worldwide, converting them from analog to digital. The upgrade will replace front‑end antennas, back‑end processors and software across sites in...
Air Force Reserve Wants to Put 24 F-35s at Homestead
The Department of the Air Force has named Homestead Air Reserve Base in Florida as the top candidate to receive 24 F-35A Lightning II fighters, replacing the 482nd Fighter Wing’s aging F-16s. The basing decision will undergo a strategic review...
CMSAF: Air Force to Train Every Airman on AI
Chief Master Sergeant David R. Wolfe announced that the Air Force will roll out a new training program to give every Airman a baseline of AI literacy, building on the service’s 2026 AI strategy. The effort follows an April plan...
After the B-52? Air Force to Study More Heavy Bomber Options
The U.S. Air Force is initiating a Heavy Bomber Analysis of Alternatives to chart the next generation of long‑range strike platforms as the B‑52 Stratofortress approaches its 2050s service horizon. The study, funded with a $1 million request for FY 2027, follows...
Missile Defense Agency Plans Counter-Hypersonic Test in Fiscal 2027
The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) announced Project Maverick, a fiscal‑2027 test to track and engage a hypersonic glide vehicle using multi‑phenomenology sensors and remote‑engagement tactics. The effort is part of a broader push for near‑term hypersonic defenses while the longer‑term...
Air Force to Field Cruise Missiles on Cargo Plane Pallets in 2027
The Air Force has formalized the Dragon Cart program, which will equip C‑130 and C‑17 cargo aircraft with palletized cruise missiles slated for fielding in 2027. Developed from the Rapid Dragon effort, the system uses a standard airdrop pallet that...
SOF Insider Trading Case Spotlights Troops and Prediction Markets
Army Master Sgt. Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a Green Beret, was arrested for allegedly using classified military intelligence about a January 2026 raid in Venezuela to place bets on the prediction‑market platform Polymarket. He wagered roughly $33,000 and reportedly netted...
Air Force Plans to Ditch BACN Jets for Satellite Communications
The U.S. Air Force will retire its seven E-11A Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) aircraft by fiscal year 2028, shifting the mission to satellite‑based communications. The transition will be driven by the Hybrid SATCOM Terminal program, which aims to field...
Iran Campaign Demonstrates Need for More B-21s
Operations Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury highlighted the strategic value of long‑range bombers while exposing the limits of the current U.S. fleet of 19 B‑2s, 76 B‑52s and 46 B‑1Bs. The campaigns showed that sustaining high‑tempo strikes requires more modern,...
AFRL Restructures Amid Pentagon’s Innovation Reform Effort
The Air Force Research Laboratory is consolidating 11 directorates into seven, forming five mission‑focused directorates and a Technology Transition Office. The restructure, announced April 24, follows Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s directive to streamline the Pentagon’s innovation ecosystem and reduce duplication....
Lockheed Taps Former F-22 Pilot to Lead Aeronautics Division
Lockheed Martin has named former F‑22 pilot O.J. Sanchez as president of its Aeronautics division, succeeding retiring executive Greg Ulmer. The division, a $30 billion business employing more than 35,000 people, oversees the massive F‑35 program, which delivered a record 191...
Acquisition Is the Bottleneck. The Tools to Fix It Already Exist.
The Department of Defense’s software acquisition process is hampering mission readiness, according to Rise8 CEO Bryon Kroger. He argues that outdated FAR‑based contracts force "water‑scrum‑fall" cycles, where agile development is throttled by 12‑to‑18‑month hardware‑style procurements. Early software factories like Kessel...
USAF Plans $3 Billion-Plus for Executive Airlift, Air Force One
The U.S. Air Force is allocating roughly $3.4 billion over the next five years to modernize its executive airlift fleet, including $2.19 billion for 17 new C‑37C jets and $1.17 billion for the long‑delayed VC‑25B "Air Force One" replacement. The aging C‑37, C‑32...
Air Force Wants to Arm Tanker, Cargo Aircraft with Active Defenses
The U.S. Air Force is allocating more than $500 million through 2031 to develop the Large Aircraft Survivability System (LASS), a modular suite of sensors, processors and kinetic or non‑kinetic effectors that will give tankers and cargo planes the ability to...
What the F-47’s Projected Budget Suggests About Its Development
The Air Force’s FY2027 budget requests over $5 billion for F‑47 research, development, test and evaluation, up from $3.5 billion in FY2026, with spending projected to peak at $5.25 billion in FY2028 before tapering to under $3 billion by FY2031. A similar pattern appears...
AFA, Space Force Leaders Honor Gen. Schriever with Statue and a Toast
On May 1, the Air & Space Forces Association unveiled a nine‑foot bronze statue of General Bernard “Bennie” Schriever at its Arlington headquarters during the inaugural “Salute to Space” celebration. Schriever, the chief architect of the Air Force’s ballistic‑missile and early...
Pentagon’s Big Bet on Reconciliation Sparks Lawmaker Concerns
The Pentagon’s FY2027 budget request of $1.5 trillion earmarks $350 billion for mandatory funding through the reconciliation process, covering key Air Force and Space Force programs such as F‑35 jets, advanced missiles and the Defense Autonomous Warfare Group. Lawmakers warn that relying...
Denys Overholser, Stealth Pioneer Whose Work Led to the F-117, Dies at 86
Denys Overholser, a Lockheed Martin engineer, died at 86. He pioneered the mathematics of radar cross‑section that made the faceted “Hopeless Diamond” concept and the Echo 1 RCS calculator, directly leading to the Have Blue demonstrators and the operational F‑117 Nighthawk. His...
New USAFA Superintendent, Air Mobility Command Boss Among Three-Star Nominations
President Trump’s administration forwarded three-star nominations for senior Air Force positions to the Senate on April 30. The slate includes Maj. Gen. Paul D. Moga as the next superintendent of the U.S. Air Force Academy, Lt. Gen. Daniel H. Tulley...
Air Force Leaders: More Parts Key to Bringing Up C-5’s Low Readiness Rate
Air Force Chief Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach told lawmakers the C‑5 Galaxy’s mission‑capable rate fell to 37%, prompting a request for $24.7 billion in FY‑2027 aircraft‑sustainment funding. The budget also earmarks more than $4 billion for a Working Capital Fund to buy spare...
Wilsbach: Air Force Will Seek to Replace Aircraft Lost in Epic Fury
The U.S. Air Force has lost at least nine manned aircraft and roughly two dozen drones during Operation Epic Fury against Iran. Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach announced the service will seek a supplemental budget request to replace...
Hegseth: US Will Require ‘a Lot More’ Than 100 B-21 Bombers
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told the Senate Armed Services Committee that the Pentagon should consider buying far more than the 100‑aircraft baseline for the B‑21 Raider stealth bomber. While the Air Force has set a minimum of 100, senior...
Air Force Starting to Ramp Up Development of New NC3 Aircraft
The Air Force will finalize an acquisition strategy for a new Looking Glass nuclear command, control and communications (NC3) system by September 2026, deciding whether to field dedicated aircraft or embed the mission in the upcoming E‑4C Survivable Airborne Operations...
Meink: Air Force Has Five More E-7s Under Contract
The Air Force confirmed contracts for five additional E-7A Wedgetail airborne battle‑management aircraft, bringing the total under contract to seven, including two rapid‑prototype units. The $2.4 billion Boeing deal, announced in March, covers an unspecified number of engineering and manufacturing‑development (EMD)...
Air Force’s 5-Year Plan: $12B to Buy Nearly 28,000 Cheap Cruise Missiles
The U.S. Air Force plans to spend $12.6 billion over the next five years to buy nearly 28,000 affordable cruise missiles under its Family of Affordable Mass Munitions (FAMM) program. Procurement will start modestly in 2027 with $355 million for 1,000 missiles,...
Air Force Requests 1.1M Flying Hours in 2027 but Says Pilots Need More
The U.S. Air Force is requesting funding to fly 1.147 million hours in fiscal 2027, the highest level in four years. The request totals $9.9 billion, a 22% increase over the 2026 budget, but still falls short of the service’s 1.3 million‑hour readiness...
USSF Budget Offers First Glimpse at Plans for ‘Space Data Network’
The U.S. Space Force’s FY‑2027 budget reveals a $3 billion investment in a new Space Data Network (SDN), split evenly between research and development and procurement. The plan calls for 21 SDN satellites in 2027, up from 13 the prior year,...
Space Force Proposes Canceling Polar Missile Warning Program
The Space Force is proposing to cancel the $3.4 b Next‑Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared (OPIR) Polar program in its FY27 budget, opting instead for coverage from proliferated low‑Earth and medium‑Earth orbit constellations. Northrop Grumman, which is building two polar satellites, says...
New Laser Defense, VIP Transport Mission in the Works for HH-60W
The U.S. Air Force is requesting more than $200 million in its 2027 budget to equip the HH‑60W Jolly Green II with advanced infrared laser countermeasures and to convert a subset of the fleet for VIP transport around Washington, D.C. The request includes...
How the 2027 Budget Will Change the Air Force Tanker Fleet
The Air Force’s FY2027 budget plans to retire 20 KC‑135 Stratotankers while receiving 20 new KC‑46 Pegasus aircraft, a shift that will let the service grow its tanker fleet rather than replace one for one. Congress has mandated a minimum...
Commercial Tech Funding Baked in to Space Force Budget, Officials Say
The Space Force’s FY2027 budget request of $71 billion earmarks roughly $2.5 billion for commercial services, but officials say the true spend on private‑sector tech is far higher because commercial components are woven into many programs. The service’s first Commercial Space Strategy,...
Sabbaticals for Pilots? Lawmakers Eye Extra Incentives Amid Manning Shortfall
Congress is advancing bipartisan bills to help the Air Force retain its dwindling pool of pilots. The RETAIN proposal would raise the maximum aviation incentive pay to $1,500 per month, double the demo cash bonus to $100,000, and expand eligibility...
SOCOM Cuts Back on Skyraider, Wants 100 Small Drones to Pair with MQ-9s
U.S. Special Operations Command reduced its planned purchase of OA-1K Skyraider II aircraft to 53 total, down from the 75 originally envisioned, with only two to be bought in FY2027. The cut reflects a strategic shift toward drone swarms, as...
We’ll Bring You Home: USAF’s Unwritten Contract with Every Combat Pilot
In early April 2026 a U.S. F‑15E was shot down over Iran, prompting a massive combat search‑and‑rescue (CSAR) effort that rescued the pilot (DUDE 44A) and later extracted the weapons‑systems officer (DUDE 44B). The joint operation deployed 21 aircraft, including A‑10s, HC‑130s...
Air Force Plans to Keep B-1s Through 2037, Fly B-2s Longer
The U.S. Air Force will invest roughly $1.7 billion over the next five years to modernize its B‑1B Lancer and B‑2 Spirit bombers, extending the B‑1’s service life to 2037 and keeping the B‑2 in operation indefinitely. The plan revises earlier...