NATO is bolstering defenses on its eastern border with Russia following the intrusion of Russian drones into the alliance's airspace in Poland last week. The alliance launched a new operation called Eastern Sentry on Sept. 12 in response with an immediate focus on air defense, ...
National Security


National Security
Long-Range Drones Target Battlefield Delivery By Greg Hadley A new startup has a contract with the Air Force’s innovation arm and a prototype to test its new concept: a network of “flying pickup truck” drones to solve the problem of...
How the U.S. can counter China’s size and other advantages. Decades of force cuts and deferred modernization have left the U.S. Air Force unable to simultaneously deter nuclear attacks, defend the U.S. homeland, and defeat Chinese aggression at acceptable levels...
Space Force Reinvents Part Time: Not Your Dad’s Guard & Reserve By Greg Hadley The Space Force revealed new details about its plan for part-time Guardians—and they aren’t like anything the military has seen before. Part-time service will be episodic, lasting...
Stealth was a gamble 50 years ago. It’s still a good bet. S tealth technology has given the U.S. military an air of near invincibility for the past 35 years. Overwhelmingly successful in the 1991 Gulf War, and heavily refined...
When the U.S. attacked Iran’s nuclear development facilities in June, more than 130 fighters played a crucial supporting role. But the seven B-2 stealth bombers—flying direct from the U.S. heartland—were indisputably the heart of the operation, each delivering two monster...
Dear Chief, Congratulations on your selection. Just two dozen men have survived the culling to become Chief of Staff. Over the years I’ve interviewed 13 of them, plus perhaps two dozen other members of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Here’s...
Russian drones were shot down by NATO fighter jets over Poland, alliance officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine Sept. 10, marking the first time that allied aircraft assigned to protect the alliance’s eastern flank have used force to defend NATO airspace.
Growing up, Troy Meink wanted to be a pilot, then an astronaut. He joined the Air Force, but his eyesight wasn't up to pilot standards, and the pilot dream was dashed. He began as a navigator, shifted into acquisition and space. He built airplanes in ...