U.S. Air Force (USAF)

By Tony Osborne
U.S. Air Force Rockwell B-1B bombers that had been forward-based in England for operations against Iran have departed back to the U.S.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
For the first time in 35 years, the U.S. Air Force will train more than 1,500 pilots, although a shortage will remain.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Tony Osborne
UK authorities believe Iran was behind a suspected foiled plot to attack a base housing U.S. Air Force bombers in England last weekend.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
The U.S. Air Force opened a search on Sept. 29 for a missile warning system for infrared-guided weapons on the Boeing F-15EX Eagle II.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force prepares to test collaborative combat aircraft in Emerald Flag, advancing autonomy software and operational capabilities.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force doubles its F-15EX buy, pushing Boeing to ramp up production while exploring radar, mission computer and electronic warfare upgrades.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Tony Osborne
UK Police have arrested several men and evacuated and cordoned off homes in a village near the U.S. Air Force bomber base of RAF Fairford, in a major security operation.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble, Graham Warwick, Robert Wall
A special Lockheed SR-71A has gone missing after being displayed in front of a NASA facility for more than 26 years. Meanwhile, the NASA administrator is dropping hints that a new X-plane is in the works that happens to look a lot like a Blackbird. What's going on here?
Check 6

By Graham Warwick
Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble
NASA has quietly removed a Lockheed SR-71A from public display.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force is looking for contractor-owned aircraft for its fighter pilots to fly to get the aircrews more hours.
Light Attack and Advanced Training

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force's top officer says some units will have longer deployments as the service looks to reset into a new model once the Iran conflict ends.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
New cost figures are not yet ready for the massive ICBM project as Air Force leaders outline design shifts.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
The concept of last-mile logistics and the U.S. Air Force have had a difficult history together, but events and requirements are driving them back to together—albeit carefully.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
The Air Force Test Center (AFTC) will deploy a new kind of weapon against a fearsome enemy this winter: precipitation.
Multi-Mission Aircraft

By Brian Everstine
Some European nations are doing what American leadership has requested: Ramp up the industrial base, the top U.S. Air Force officer in the region argues.
Supply Chain

By Brian Everstine
There is a disconnect on propulsion needs for future increments of Collaborative Combat Aircraft, a key industry player argues.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble
U.S. Air Force demand for a new fleet of Massed Modular Aircraft points to a novel way of fighting, with swarming, attritable aircraft flinging long-range missiles from afar.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Vivienne Machi
The acknowledgement of coorbital weapons marks a turning point in the way the U.S. military talks about war in space.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force's Air Mobility Command is now looking into how it can better improve readiness while remaining heavily deployed.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force is expected to tell lawmakers in the next few months how many Northrop Grumman B-21s it hopes to procure.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
Lockheed Martin is pitching an upgraded variant of the F-16, called the F-16G, to the U.S. Air Force to fill Fighting Falcon units that will age out of their existing fighters.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The announced competitors for the U.S. Air Force’s Massed Modular Aircraft so far have one major thing in common—they use Honeywell Aerospace’s TPE331 engine.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
Boeing’s 737 MAX will have a new operator: the U.S. Air Force.
Aircraft & Propulsion

Aviation Week Staff
Following remarks from Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, Chief of Space Operations Gen. Douglas Schiess reiterated the presence of space weapons on orbit.
Space