U.S. Air Force (USAF)

By Guy Norris
Pratt & Whitney provides a rare glimpse of the XA103 adaptive engine and the digital design process underpinning its development.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble
A plan to buy thousands of palletized missiles next year to be launched by airlifters introduces a new kind of weapon along with integration challenges.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Steve Trimble
Anduril flew another round of powered flight tests for the Barracuda-100M, a proposed long-range alternative to the Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Brian Everstine
For years, members of the U.S. Navy’s Super Hornet and Growler community had raised the question of adding a ground collision avoidance system (GCAS).
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force has deployed two of its new Boeing F-15EX Eagle IIs to Kadena Air Base, Japan, as it prepares to stand up a unit of the fighters at the base.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) looks to add $30 billion to the Pentagon’s budget, while blocking some aircraft retirements and increasing F-35As.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Guy Norris
Pratt & Whitney has released imagery of its digitally designed XA103 next-generation adaptive combat engine and says initial parts production is underway.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
For the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the U.S. Air Force, devoting the time and money to build an effective bunker-buster bomb is challenging.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Tony Osborne
Participants in the annual Turkish-led Anatolian Eagle exercises trained as the exercise adapts to a new era of high-intensity warfighting.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Vivienne Machi
The Defense Department’s latest budget plan goes all in on space-based moving-target tracking.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
A pair of Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie uncrewed aircraft flew a combat training mission controlled by pilots flying a single-seat F-16C and a two-seat Boeing F-15E.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Vivienne Machi
The Defense Department is debating how best to develop the space-based data connectivity backbone of its future force.
Satellites

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force’s new combat rescue helicopter will take over distinguished visitor airlift and transport in the Washington, D.C., area.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” barely passed the Senate on July 1.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Graham Warwick
Startup Electra.aero is to study the benefits of hybrid-electric propulsion systems for U.S. Army operations.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble
About $14 million of the overall funding from the U.S. Air Force for JetZero’s Z4 blended wing body demo is at risk of being cut in the fiscal 2026 budget request.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force’s plan to buy more refuelers after completion of the KC-46 program of record has evolved again.
Multi-Mission Aircraft

By Steve Trimble
Air-launched hypersonic weapons in both glide and powered forms are back in favor.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Graham Warwick
MightyFly has demonstrated autonomous flight, loading and unloading as well as load balancing during a demonstration of its Cento uncrewed logistics aircraft.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble, Brian Everstine, Robert Wall
Israel’s 12-day operation against Iran provided a master class in gaining control of an adversary’s airspace and, with U.S. help, what can be done afterwards.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Vivienne Machi
The U.S. Space Force is considering the optimal way to build out a vast and critical data transport satellite architecture in low Earth orbit.
Satellites

By Steve Trimble
Proposed cuts to stealth fighters and attack helicopters could drop U.S. Defense Department aircraft procurement to modern lows in fiscal 2026.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
The USAF will pay the bill to modify a Boeing 747-8 obtained from the Qatari government into a temporary presidential transport aircraft using diverted funds.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
Continued, extensive cost growth was a main driving factor in canceling the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail for the U.S. Air Force despite previous efforts to lower costs.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
An accurate assessment of the performance of the Boeing GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator in its combat debut in Iran could take several days to complete.
Missile Defense & Weapons