February 15, 1943

Feb. 15, 1943
It is announced that Maj. Gen. Ira C. Eaker will succeed Maj. Gen. Carl A. “Tooey” Spaatz as commander of AAF’s Eighth Air Force.

Related Content

DARPA Picks Bell Textron for New Runway-less Drone X-Plane

July 9, 2025
Bell Textron has won DARPA's contest for a no-runway, high-speed drone that will prove out technologies useful for special operations forces and possibly the Air Force's Agile Combat Employment concept. Bell's design converts a tiltrotor to a jet-powered aircraft able to fly at up to 450 knots.

Air Force Works to Modernize Aging B-52 Simulators

July 9, 2025
Air Force B-52 program officials are gunning for a budget boost for new simulators that can adequately replicate challenging tasks crew members must perform on real-world bombing missions.

Space Force Opposes Cut to Commerce’s Space Traffic Management Program

July 9, 2025
The first Trump administration moved to relieve the Space Force of its burden to monitor and warn civilian space operators about potential space traffic hazards. But now, just as the Commerce Department’s new Traffic Coordination System for Space (TraCSS) program is nearly ready, the second Trump administration is looking to…

KC-46’s Refueling Boom Damaged While Refueling F-22s

July 8, 2025
A U.S. Air Force KC-46 tanker suffered damage to its boom while refueling F-22 Raptors off the coast of Virginia on July 8, Air & Space Forces Magazine has confirmed, with reported radio communication from the crew indicating the boom “detached.”

Air Force Budget Hints at Shift in Tanker Plans—and More KC-46s

July 8, 2025
The Air Force appears to be leaning buying toward more KC-46 refuelers rather than developing a stealthy future tanker, based on budget documents released this week. USAF’s plans prioritize connectivity upgrades and self-protection measures for its aerial refueling fleet.  No...

Air Force, Space Force Kick Off Major Pacific Exercises

July 8, 2025
The Air Force and Space Force kicked off a busy summer of major exercises across the Pacific on July 8, with thousands of Airmen and Guardians and hundreds of aircraft and satellites set to participate in a so-called Department-Level Exercise series. 

16 Retired 4-Stars Urge Congress to Fund E-7 and More F-35s

July 7, 2025
Six former Air Force Chiefs of Staff and seven other retired 4-star generals joined Air & Space Forces Association leadership in calling on Congress to triple the number of F-35A fighters the Air Force buys in fiscal 2026 and to reinstate funding for the E-7 Wedgetail battle management platform that…