Brian Everstine is the Pentagon Editor for Aviation Week, based in Washington, D.C. Before joining Aviation Week in August 2021, Brian covered the Pentagon for Air Force Magazine. Brian began covering defense aviation in 2011 as a reporter for Military Times. Over a decade as a defense journalist, he has reported from dozens of bases at home and abroad, including austere airstrips in Afghanistan, the cockpit of a B-52 over the South Pacific and the boom operator station of a KC-46. Before the military beat, Brian covered the Washington state legislature for the Associated Press.
Senior U.S. Air Force leaders in recent days have weighed in on China’s advancements in its fighter force, criticizing Beijing’s technical prowess but offering some praise for its inventiveness ahead of the upcoming 20th National Congress and the Zhuhai air show.
U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall says he is encouraged by recent test successes for Lockheed Martin’s Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon, despite having previously expressed concern about the program.
