U.S. Air Force (USAF)

By Steve Trimble
A two-decade trend of failed X-plane projects at the agency appears to be reversing, with a recent switch to a scaled-down approach producing results.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Predicting contrail cirrus; Autonomy proving ground; eVTOL river crossing; Electric regional seaplane.
Emerging Technologies

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force wants to kick off its program to replace its aging Boeing KC-135s this month with a request for information.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Graham Warwick
Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.
Aviation Week & Space Technology

By Graham Warwick
Autonomy Prime was established to engage nontraditional players in the development of autonomous capabilities for U.S. Air Force platforms.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Garrett Reim
Demonstration and operational testing of the microreactor was targeted to begin in 2027.
Supply Chain

By Brian Everstine
Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are vying for the NGAD program while the three military services are teaming on uncrewed aircraft development.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The service is undertaking a series of new munitions programs.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Steve Trimble
Fifteen years after a B-52 standoff jammers idea was shelved, the venerable bomber will audition for a role as a primary airborne electronic attack platform.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Brian Everstine
Private midtier bets that its post-production modification and communications expertise could give it a shot over defense giants and OEMs.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps have agreed to work together on developing collaborative combat aircraft by standardizing multiple system components.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Brian Everstine
The Pentagon plans to field thousands of autonomous systems—including aircraft, ships and ground vehicles—on a scale not seen within two years.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Chen Chuanren
Taiwan’s defense urges its government to approve quickly and fund a domestically developed Advanced Defense Fighter, which it says could unlock access to F-35s.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman see schedule delays for ICBM replacement as a massive military construction effort takes shape.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Navy’s secretive next-generation fighter program has completed concept refinement and has moved into a design maturation phase.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
The U.S. Air Force’s research and acquisition bureaucracy will play only a supporting role as the service’s energy office leads flight demonstration.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Guy Norris
After three decades of studies, the BWB will finally become full-scale as JetZero and Scaled Composites ramp up for a multirole U.S. Air Force project.
Emerging Technologies

By Steve Trimble
The capital investments by Boeing are supporting the company's "future franchise" programs, which possibly include the Next Generation Air Dominance program.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
Umbra wins a contract to study how its advanced space radar technologies could be used in the USAF shift to space for its moving-target indication mission.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Graham Warwick
U.S. startup Advanced Tactics plans to fly two multi-rotor heavylift VTOLs funded through a U. S. Air Force program.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force launched an All-Up-Round AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon in a recent test but is tight-lipped about whether objectives were met.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Brian Everstine
Members of Niger’s military rose up against President Mohamed Bazoum, who has been under house arrest since July 26.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
The award completes a yearlong selection process managed by the Defense Innovation Unit.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
Capitol Hill should take limited steps to help the Pentagon improve its budgeting flexibility and speed up acquisition, a congressionally mandated panel says
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble, Guy Norris
Several forward fit and retrofit programs will demand potentially thousands of ejection seats in the next few years.
Aircraft & Propulsion