U.S. Air Force

Latest in U.S. Air Force

Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works advanced projects division has put forward a new vision for a stealthy pilot-optional aerial refueling tanker.

Skunk Works’ Latest Stealthy Tanker Concept Revealed

By Joseph Trevithick
Nov 6 7:35 PM EST
The future outlook for the U.S. Air Force's top modernization efforts is even more uncertain after the service's civilian boss openly questioned the affordability of buying any combination of new stealth 'fighters,' advanced aerial refueling tankers, and highly autonomous drones.

Crisis Brewing Over Air Force’s Future Air Dominance Plans Which It Cannot Afford

By Joseph Trevithick
Nov 5 8:38 PM EST
The commander of NORAD and NORTHCOM talked about the Langley Air Force Base drone incursion and what the military could do about it.

Here’s What NORAD’s Commander Just Told Us About The Langley AFB Drone Incursions

By Howard Altman
Oct 29 10:00 PM EDT
B-21 Taking On Some Of NGAD Fighter’s Missions On The Table Air Force Says

B-21 Taking On Some Of NGAD Fighter’s Missions On The Table Air Force Says

By Joseph Trevithick
Oct 25 8:19 PM EDT
The expected size of the U.S. Air Force's B-21 Raider fleet could change as part of an ongoing force structure review, according to the bomber's manufacturer Northrop Grumman.

B-21 Raider Fleet Size Under Review

By Joseph Trevithick
Oct 24 1:09 PM EDT
A B-2 Spirit from the 509th Bomb Wing, 13th Bomb Squadron Whiteman Air Force Base, Miss., prepares to be refueled by a KC-135R Stratotanker from the 434th Air Refueling Wing at Grissom Air Reserve Base, Ind. during a nighttime aerial refueling mission.

Questions Linger Over Australia’s Role In B-2 Spirit Strikes On Yemen

By Thomas Newdick
Oct 18 4:35 PM EDT
The US Air Force's Chief Scientist reportedly described the AGM-183A missile as the service's "most mature" hypersonic weapon, prompting new questions about whether that program's future.

ARRW Hypersonic Missile Program Gets New Funding Despite Signs Of Cancellation

By Joseph Trevithick
Oct 10 7:34 PM EDT
Orphaned A-29 Super Tucano Attack Planes Join USAF Test Pilot School Fleet

Orphaned A-29 Super Tucano Attack Planes Join USAF Test Pilot School Fleet

By Thomas Newdick, Joseph Trevithick
Oct 9 6:06 PM EDT
Aerial photo taken of MacDill Air Force Base on January 29, 2021. MacDill AFB includes 28 associate units from all brances of service to include U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command and the 927th Air Refueling Wing. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Tiffany Emery)

Hurricane Milton Could Be Sum Of All Weather Fears For MacDill Air Force Base

By Howard Altman
Oct 9 2:25 PM EDT
An Air Force B-52H Stratofortress was recently spotted rocking day-glo orange highlights.

B-52 Emerges In Striking Retro Orange Paint Scheme

By Howard Altman
Oct 1 6:40 PM EDT
KC-10 Extender tail #86-0036 performs its final mission as it heads of to the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., following a July 13 ceremony at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J., that marked the first retirement of 59 Extenders intended for eventual replacement by the KC-46A Pegasus. A total of three KC-10s from the Air Force’s Backup-Aircraft Inventory were congressionally approved for retirement during Fiscal Year 2020. As KC-10s are retired, the 309th AMARG will continue to support the remaining Extenders with spare parts as they are flown for several years while the KC-46A Pegasus is integrated into Air Mobility Command’s Total Force tanker enterprise. For nearly four decades, the KC-10 has helped secure global reach for America, providing in- flight refueling to U.S. and coalition aircraft, from Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm to Operation Inherent Resolve. The KC- 10 is flown from JBMDL by both the 305th AMW and its associate Air Force Reserve unit, the 514th AMW.

Final KC-10 Extender Tanker Flies Into Retirement

By Thomas Newdick
Sep 26 3:15 PM EDT
Canadian authorities have released an image of an unidentified object that was shot down over the country's Yukon Territory by a U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptor stealth fighter in February 2023.

First Look At Mystery Object Shot Down Over Canada By F-22 Raptor Last Year

By Joseph Trevithick
Sep 24 9:13 PM EDT
The U.S. Air Force is interested in adding an active electronically-scanned array (AESA) radar to its X-62A test jet. The radar is part of larger plans to acquire a new modular sensor suite for the uniquely modified F-16 specifically to help expand its ability to support advanced autonomy developments.

New Radar Sought To Help X-62A Test Jet Take Next Leap In Autonomy Testing

By Joseph Trevithick
Sep 24 1:13 PM EDT
Plans to slash F-16 aggressors at Nellis Air Force Base highlight broader questions about the future of the Air Force Viper fleets.

Aggressor F-16 Fleet Set To Be Slashed By Air Force

By Joseph Trevithick
Sep 23 4:42 PM EDT
Future offensive electronic warfare

How EA-18G Growler’s Next Generation Jammer Actually Works And The Future Of Offensive Electronic Warfare

By Howard Altman
Sep 20 1:53 PM EDT
The U.S. Air Force says the once-secretive Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) drone program has been fully folded into the service's Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) effort. General Atomics has already disclosed that its current CCA design is derived from the XQ-67 drone it developed for OBSS.

Collaborative Combat Aircraft Program “Ingesting” Modular Chassis Concept Pioneered By XQ-67 Drone

By Joseph Trevithick
Sep 19 8:52 PM EDT
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