Budget, Policy & Operations

Unveiling the first MQ-4C Triton highlights a decade-old vision of continuous maritime patrol from high altitude over the Indo-Pacific.

France is studying basing options in the Indo-Pacific for its air force assets in anticipation of exercises in 2024.

The need for speed is emerging as more important than the need for range for air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles.

Although Russia remains a key and committed partner in the International Space Station program, the country is absent from the International Astronautical Congress.

U.S. Air Forces Central Command is standing up a new unit and designating funding to find new, cheaper ways to incorporate small drones for broad air surveillance, following a model that the U.S. Navy is using for maritime surveillance.

Global military spending growth and deglobalization will reshape defense markets in the 2020s.

It is time for the U.S. to move the management of traffic in space (STM) from the Defense Department to the Commerce Department, the three-star deputy commander of U.S. Space Command says.

The nominee to lead the U.S. military’s nuclear force repeatedly punted when pressed by lawmakers on whether he would support the new, low-yield, submarine-launched nuclear missile that has become controversial on Capitol Hill and opposed by the Biden administration.

The U.S. Air Force’s newest refueler, the Boeing KC-46, has flown its first combat refueling sortie as part of an exercise to employ the tanker downrange before it is officially operational.

For its recent Mission Pegase 2022 exercise, the French Air and Space Force demonstrated its ability to reinforce New Caledonia, conduct satellite communications and engage a simulated invasion force.

The goal of having a European constellation enter into service in late 2024 appears ambitious at best.

Ukraine’s air force has transitioned to using road runways to disperse and protect its fast jet operations in the country’s war with Russia.

Bern’s Security Policy Committee of the National Council has given the green light to the purchase of 36 F-35s

After years of dither and delay, Poland has selected the Apache attack helicopter, but strategies for other acquisitions remain clouded.

Germany could loosen its arms exports policy as part of a security strategy rethink prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

The U.S. Air Force proposes to retire 1,463 aircraft and buy 467 between fiscal 2023 to 2027 in the Future Years Defense Program, resulting in a net loss of 997 aircraft.

A partial grounding of the U.S. V-22 fleet has been lifted after a nagging issue with a slipping sprag clutch caused two more emergency landings.

Every category of incident, from the most expensive Class A through the lowest Class D, has increased for ship-related operations since 2011.

On its 75th anniversary, the service looks to a future using increased autonomy and a further migration of key missions to space.

Here is an overview of 10 of the service’s top priorities as it looks to shape its future force.

The service aims to become “ruthless” in selecting development programs under ongoing review.

The assistance raises the Biden administration’s overall financial commitment to Ukraine’s defense to about $15.2 billion.

The discovery puts pressure on Lockheed’s goal to deliver 147-153 F-35s this year and highlights growing concerns about Chinese suppliers in critical U.S. defense supply chains.

The Pentagon plans within the next week to release new guidance on reducing the impact of inflation on vendors, particularly smaller companies that have firm, fixed-price contracts without flexibility to deal with increasing costs.

Ben Wallace will continue as UK defense secretary in the new government formed by new Prime Minister Liz Truss.