Recent Posts
News•Feb 20, 2026
WATCH: Space as the Backbone of Integrated Defense
The U.S. Space Force is accelerating its integrated‑defense agenda across multiple fronts. Boeing opened a dedicated production line for electro‑optical infrared sensors to bolster missile‑warning capabilities, while the service is streamlining the transition of battle‑management tools from labs to operators. Parallel efforts include a survey of on‑orbit refueling technologies, a projection of up to 500 annual launches from the Eastern Range by 2036, and a recruitment push to double its force size. These initiatives underscore space’s role as the backbone of modern defense architecture.
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 20, 2026
USSF Wants to Get Battle Management Tools From Lab to Operations Faster
The U.S. Space Force is restructuring its advanced battle‑management pipeline by moving the Space Domain Awareness Tools, Applications, and Processing (SDA TAP) Lab under the Kronos command‑and‑control system. Over the next 18 months, the program aims to transition more lab‑derived tools...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 19, 2026
Kessel Run Launches Program for ‘Next-Gen’ Air Operations Center
The Air Force’s Kessel Run software factory announced a program to develop a next‑generation Air Operations Center (AOC) that leverages AI, machine learning, data fusion, and cloud‑native architecture. The effort builds on the existing Block 20 upgrades and KRADOS suite, aiming...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 19, 2026
Massive Bamboo Eagle Exercise Returns, with Focus on C2 ‘Nervous System’
The Air Force launched the largest Bamboo Eagle exercise to date, fielding roughly 10,000 personnel—including U.S., U.K., and Australian forces—and about 150 aircraft such as the F‑22, F‑35, C‑130J and MQ‑9. The eight‑day event spans 15 global locations and blends...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 17, 2026
Space Force Surveys Industry For Refueling Tech
The U.S. Space Force issued a February 13 request for information seeking satellite‑refueling systems that can be operational by 2030. It targets vehicles using the approved Orbit Fab Rapidly Attachable Fluid Transfer Interface (RAFTI) or Northrop Grumman’s Passive Refueling Module,...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 17, 2026
USAFA Board Seeks More Cadets, New Facilities
The U.S. Air Force Academy Board of Visitors recommends a 10 percent increase in the cadet corps to 4,400 and the construction of a new tri‑complex housing an Air, Space, and Cyber Education Center. The plan includes a dedicated Space...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 13, 2026
Pentagon to Restock Massive Ordnance Penetrator Bombs Dropped by B-2s on Iran
The Pentagon is finalizing a more than $100 million contract with Boeing to replenish the GBU‑57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs expended during Operation Midnight Hammer against Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites. The acquisition will be the final batch of...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 12, 2026
Space Force, Aiming to Double in Size, Blows Past Recruiting Goal
The U.S. Space Force announced it plans to double its active‑duty Guardians from roughly 10,000 to 20,000 to meet expanding national‑security missions and counter threats from China and Russia. Chief Master Sergeant John Bentivegna reported the service is already at...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 11, 2026
NASA Administrator Eyes Greater Collaboration with Pentagon
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman urged deeper collaboration between NASA and the Department of Defense, highlighting their historic partnership and the national‑security dimensions of the Artemis lunar program. He pointed to an executive order that tasks the White House Office of...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 11, 2026
F-16 Pilot Becomes First Air Guardsman to Win Prestigious Shine Award
Lt. Col. Eric R. Emerson, an Air National Guard F‑16 pilot, became the first Guard member to receive the Anthony C. Shine Award, which honors fighter pilots who embody character, professionalism, and tactical skill. In 2024 he commanded a 24/7...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine
News•Feb 10, 2026
L3Harris Pitches Cruise Missiles for SOCOM’s Air Tractor
U.S. Special Operations Command and the Air Force are testing L3Harris’s Red Wolf missile on the OA-1K Skyraider II, a modified Air Tractor crop-duster. Red Wolf can loiter or fly up to 200 nautical miles as a precision cruise missile...
By Air & Space Forces Magazine