Summer at USAFA: Behind the Scenes of Basic Cadet Training
Air & Space Forces Magazine went behind the scenes for Basic Cadet Training at the U.S. Air Force Academy to see the enduring traditions—and changes—up close.
Air Force: Waist-to-Height Ratio Required by July 31 Will Not Be Scored
Active-Duty Airmen only have a few days left to submit an official waist-to-height ratio into the Air Force’s new online application. But the service clarified July 23 that this first body composition measurement is not meant to be scored as part of the new Physical Fitness Readiness Assessment, or PFRA
Space Force Wants Commercial Bandwidth for SATCOM Experiments
The Space Force is moving forward with a series of experiments to test ideas for broadening its narrowband satellite communication mission to medium-Earth orbit, and a new notice to industry seeks commercial satellites to help demonstrate the viability of a future hybrid architecture.
F-15 Makes Its First Flight
One month ahead of schedule, company pilot Irv Burrows makes the first flight of the McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle air superiority fighter at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. The F-15 is the first USAF fighter to have a thrust-to-weight ratio...
Radar Sweep
US and Iran Pause Their Attacks After Days of Escalation
The Associated Press
The United States and Iran paused their attacks for a second straight day July 26, as efforts continued to bring them back to negotiations on an interim ceasefire deal largely undermined by recent exchanges of fire.
What We Learned About GCAP at the Farnborough Airshow
Breaking Defense
Throughout the week, the trilateral Global Combat Air Programme dominated chatter in the show halls, aircraft display areas, and high-level briefings. From potential new entrants to a “bridge” aircraft in the works, here’s what you need to know about GCAP, from the Breaking Defense team on the ground at the Farnborough International Airshow.
Cheap, Accurate and Lethal: Iran’s Best Missile Is Getting More Dangerous
The Wall Street Journal
The Kheibar Shekan missile is the workhorse of Tehran’s arsenal—a cheap, mobile, accurate weapon with a range of at least 900 miles. And recently, Iran has been using it in complex attacks, proving itself to be an adaptable adversary for the U.S.
As Drones Take Over, Ejection-Seat Makers Prepare for a Pilotless Battlefield
Defense One
In the eight decades since Martin-Baker conducted its first in-flight test, its ejection seats have saved the lives of more than 7,800 aviators. But more recently, advancements in robotic and autonomous aircraft have Martin-Baker and fellow ejection-seat makers looking for ways to keep themselves alive and well.
DIU’s First Active-Duty Military Deputy Wants to Help US Forces Meet Future Fights ‘with Swagger’
DefenseScoop
When Maj. Gen. Joseph Kunkel joined the Air Force in the 1990s, he had no idea he’d spend the next three decades of his life “roaming around the world, actually executing combat operations,” as he puts it, armed with capabilities that those who served before him made sure “were perfectly suited for winning those fights.” He’s inherited a modern version of that responsibility today—to equip U.S. forces with the right and best weapons, faster than ever before—as the Defense Innovation Unit’s first full-time military deputy.
Pathway to Larger B-21 Raider Fleet Was Baked into Production Ramp-Up Deal
The War Zone
An agreement to ramp up production of the B-21 Raider was indeed structured to at least open the door to orders for more of the bombers, according to prime contractor Northrop Grumman. When the deal was announced back in February, the U.S. Air Force described it as a tool primarily intended to simply help accelerate fielding of the B-21. The service also said that long-stated plans for a fleet of 100 aircraft remained unchanged. Since then, it has separately confirmed that it is reassessing the objective Raider fleet size.
PODCAST: Blueprint for 2040—Inside the Space Force's Objective Force Baseline
The Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies
To secure the growing U.S. interests in space, it is imperative we have a capable and ready Space Force that can meet the challenges of the future. The Future Operating Environment 2040 and the Objective Force Baseline are the Space Force’s assessment of what to expect and what forces and capabilities it will need to preserve space superiority. To learn more about these documents we had an in-depth discussion with two of the principal authors, Col. Paul Latour and Lt. Col. Sean Frederick.
Trump Flew from Turkey on Older Air Force One After Credible Threat from Iran and Its Proxies
CBS News
President Trump departed the NATO summit in Turkey earlier this month on the old Air Force One jet—rather than the newer plane donated by Qatar—following a credible threat to the president from Iran and allied proxy groups, U.S. officials told CBS News.
Pentagon Reports More Than 600 Iran War Casualties in Quiet Database Update
The Guardian
The Pentagon updated its official war casualty database over the weekend, adding more than 140 wounded service members. The Defense Casualty Analysis System also introduced a new casualty category labeled “Overseas Operations” for personnel killed and wounded “starting July 7.”
Ukraine Strikes Iranian Vessels in Caspian Sea, Tehran Accuses Kyiv of ‘Hostile and Criminal Act’
CNBC
Iran summoned a Ukrainian diplomat in Tehran on Sunday to protest an attack on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea, as the war in the Middle East threatened to overlap with the Ukraine conflict.
Inside the Rushed Effort to Get Trump His New Air Force One
The New York Times
President Trump was entranced. It was a few weeks into his second term, and he was on the tarmac of the Palm Beach airport, getting a tour of a luxury Boeing 747-8 that had been flown from Doha for his perusal.
Mission Marge Successful Brings Part of Historic WWII Plane Back Home
KQDS
After more than 80 years, a piece of World War II history has returned home to [Wisconsin]. Part of the right wing of Richard I. Bong’s iconic Lockheed P-38 Lightning made its way home from Papua New Guinea. Bong named his aircraft “Marge” after his wife.