F-35 Finishes Weapon Surge

The F-35 program Monday wrapped up an intense weapons testing surge, which sharply advanced clearance of the 3F software. The Integrated Test Force reported completing 25 tests—12 weapons delivery accuracy and 13 separation tests—as part of a month-long push to...

Boeing, Northrop T-X Sneak Peeks

Boeing on Monday invited journalists to a Sept. 13 unveiling of its T-X trainer candidate for the Air Force, offering a short, dim, black-and-white video showing the jet from the front. If the aircraft shown is indeed Boeing’s “clean sheet”...

Ulchi Freedom Guardian Kicks Off in South Korea

Ulchi Freedom Guardian, an annual military exercise between US and Republic of Korea forces, kicked off Aug. 22 amid heightened tensions and threats of a nuclear attack from the North. Some 25,000 US military personnel are participating in the 12-day...

North Korea Threatens Nuclear Strike

North Korea threatened to turn the South into a “heap of ashes through a Korean-style pre-emptive nuclear strike” if US and Republic of Korea forces showed “the slightest sign of aggression” during their annual military drill, reported NPR, citing a...

Additional Duties Reduction Announced

In an effort to “streamline demands” on airmen’s time, Secretary Deborah Lee James and Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein released an Air Force-wide memorandum on Aug. 18 announcing a broad reduction in additional airmen duties. The announcement emerges from...

America’s Jet Hits 12,000 Hours

The only F-15E Strike Eagle to record an air-to-air combat kill marked 12,000 flying hours at an undisclosed location in Southwest Asia on Aug. 16, according to a press release. The jet, tail number 89-0487, is deployed from Seymour-Johnson AFB,...

New Commander Takes Over Inherent Resolve

The new commander of Operation Inherent Resolve took command on Sunday, overseeing a mission in transition as allied ground forces look to build on their momentum against ISIS. Army Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander of XVIII Airborne Corps, assumed command...

Russia Halts Use of Iranian Air Base

Russia has stopped using air bases in Iran for strikes in Syria after a short-lived campaign from the country. Iranian Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan called Russia’s publicizing the use of the air bases a “betrayal of trust,” saying on Monday...

US Hits Dozens of ISIS Targets in Libya

US aircraft Aug. 19-21 took out dozens of ISIS fighting positions in Sirte, Libya, paving the way for an advance into the city. At the request of the Libyan Government of National Accord, US aircraft struck 25 ISIS fighting positions...

Lockheed Awarded $18 Billion C-130J Contract

The Air Force Life Cycle Management Agency at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, has awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth up to $10 billion for the production of all future C130J aircraft delivery orders, including foreign military sales. Work will be completed...