New Russian Cruise Missile?

Video released by Russian state media to publicize Russia’s recent air-launched cruise missile attack on Syria seem to show a new and stealthy weapon. The video shows six stealthy-looking shapes being loaded on a rotary launcher; presumably in the belly...

Russia’s Syria Force Increased

Russian state media announced that the bombers that participated in a cruise missile attack on targets in Syria on Nov. 17—as well as some additional fighters—are now part of the overall Syrian action force, presumably under command of the Syrian...

Upgraded AWACS Goes to War

A modernized E-3G Sentry AWACS deployed to combat for the first time after completing Block 40/45 upgrades, arriving in the US Central Command area of operations on Nov. 18. “Tied with the deployable ground system, this allows both operators and...

Building the Bomber Force

The Air Force needs a bomber force of between 150 and 200 aircraft—including B-2s and Long-Range Strike Bombers—“to maintain America’s asymmetric advantage in long-range precision strike over any potential adversary,” retired Lt. Gen. Mike Moeller asserted? in a report for...

LRS-B on Guam

The Long-Range Strike Bomber is a critical future capability for Pacific Air Forces, PACAF chief Gen. Lori Robinson told defense writers in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. “The theater is very big,” comprising “52 percent of the world,” Robinson said. It...

J-31 No Game-Changer

The Chinese J-31—a two-engined copy of the US F-35—does not represent “a game-changer” in the Pacific theater, Pacific Air Forces chief Gen. Lori Robinson said Wednesday. Robinson declined to provide an intelligence analysis of the J-31’s capabilities, but did say...

PACAF F-35 Integration Office

Pacific Air Forces chief Gen. Lori Robinson has set up an “F-35 Integration Office” for her command, even though deployment of the fighter in the Pacific is still potentially years away. Robinson, speaking with defense writers in Washington, D.C., said...

Staying Sharp on Alert

NORAD alert F-15Cs conducted air intercept exercises against light aircraft flown by the Civil Air Patrol over New Hampshire earlier this week, Massachusetts’ WLPP-22 News reported. The Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 104th Fighter Wing conducted the Fertile Keynote exercise to...

Carter Announces “Force of the Future”

Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Nov. 18 announced the first steps in his “Force of the Future” initiative, a months-long review of how the Pentagon can look to the private sector to better develop, recruit, and retain service members and...

Effort Aimed at Career Advancement, Recruiting

The Pentagon on Wednesday outlined a series of specific efforts to revamp Defense Department recruiting, retainment, and interaction with the private sector. These efforts include improving the Pentagon’s college internship programs, establishing a Digital Defense Service of private sector experts...

Grasshopper Joins AMC Museum

A WWII-era Taylorcraft L-2M Grasshopper liaison aircraft that spent 20 years in storage was ferried to the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover AFB, Del., for permanent display, the museum announced. “It was used to train glider pilots who were...