Pioneers and Prototypes

As Air Force leaders consider concepts of operations for Collaborative Combat Aircraft, sustainment in the field—and easing that support by using standard parts and limiting variants—should be a key consideration, according to a new study from AFA's Mitchell Institute of Aerospace Studies.

The Pentagon cannot afford to lose access to certain parts of the electromagnetic spectrum if it is to proceed with the “Golden Dome” missile defense initiative, a top official told lawmakers. And with the telecommunications industry and some lawmakers pushing to open military radio waves for commercial use, the Defense…

U.S. Space Command is still passionate about the idea of being able to maneuver satellites in orbits without worrying about conserving fuel. But how exactly to achieve that remains unsettled as the combatant command works with the Pentagon’s acquisition enterprise, SPACECOM’s deputy commander said. 

The Department of Defense is pushing ahead with a plan to automate and streamline the system it uses to ensure that software running on military networks is secure, and will start implementation next month, acting Chief Information Officer Katie Arrington said May 7. 

The B-52 Radar Modernization Program has incurred a Nunn-McCurdy breach, with a cost estimate increase of more than 15 percent, the Air Force said. A breach of that magnitude won’t require the Secretary of Defense to certify the program as critical to national defense, but the program may be reduced…

The Air Force announced a successful ejection seat test for its T-7A trainer, and an official told lawmakers the service expects the jet to achieve initial operating capability by November 2027—two signs of progress for the program.

The Supreme Court's May 6 decision to grant the Trump administration's request to block a lower court's injunction means the Defense Department can resume separating transgender service members under a directive issued in February.

B-52 bombers are on the move to the island of Diego Garcia, where multiple B-2 bombers have been stationed for weeks.

Aerospace Industries Association president Eric Fanning says steady, predictable defense budgets, not outliers like the proposed $150 billion reconciliation package, are the way for the Pentagon to get the production capacity increases it wants.