Raptor 2045

The Air Force now plans to retain the F-22 Raptor fleet into the 2040s, the service said in response to a question from Air Force Magazine. “Based upon current projected fleet flying hour programs and actual aircraft usage, the predicted...

Time for Air Dominance

The Air Force’s forecast that the F-22 will last into the 2040s helps explain why the service seems in no rush to launch a sixth-generation fighter program. Reporters have been peppering the Air Force and DOD leadership with queries as...

Better Buying Power 3.0 Focus on Technology

The Pentagon unveiled its implementation for Better Buying Power 3.0, the latest effort to improve its acquisition system, with a greater focus on trying to maintain the technological superiority that America has relied on to win conflicts since World War...

Weapons School Reaper Successfully Strikes Maritime Target

An MQ-9 Reaper assigned to the 26th Weapons Squadron at Nellis AFB, Nev., successfully struck a target in the Gulf of Mexico on March 17, marking the first time the Reaper was successfully used to interdict sea-going targets in a...

Next Gen AMRAAM Completes Operational Testing

Raytheon, Air Force, and Navy testers recently completed operational test and evaluation of the latest Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM) variant, paving the way for its initial operational capability, the company announced. “The AIM-120D represents a significant improvement in...

D.C. Air Defense Refresh

The Air Force requested information from industry on updating or replacing the National Capital Region’s ground-based air defense surveillance equipment, Air Force Lifecycle Management Center officials announced. The Enhanced Regional Situational Awareness (ERSA) system, which was rapidly fielded in response...

NATO Spearhead Force Testing Under Way

NATO started exercising and testing its new Very High Readiness Joint Task Force concept with a recent deployment drill in Germany. The VJTF, which is expected to reach full operational capability in 2016, is part of the newly created NATO...