First Enlisted Solo Flights in 60 Years

Two master sergeants on Nov. 3 became the first enlisted airmen to complete solo flights in 60 years after their initial training flights with the 1st Flying Training Squadron in Pueblo, Colo., according to a press release. The two men,...

Silver Star Awarded to Airman for Valor in Afghanistan

Retired A1C Benjamin Hutchins received a Silver Star at a ceremony at Fort Bragg, N.C., Friday, the Fayetteville Observer reported. Hutchins risked his life in November 2009 by jumping in the Bala Murghab River in Afghanistan while under enemy fire...

Everybody Gets a Piece

Because the F-35 is stealthy and sharing information continuously with the network, it offers operators the capability to “find unlocated surface-to-air threats” in a way that fourth-generation aircraft can’t. Lt. Col. Scott Gunn, an Air Force F-35A pilot, told attendees...

Madly, Truly, Deeply

Though it looks like one, the F-35 is “not a fighter,” but is “infinitely, exponentially” better than one, and is certainly far more than a mere replacement for the AV-8B Harrier in Marine Corps usage, F-35B pilot Lt. Col. David...

I’ve Got Something on the Range

Training fifth-generation crews is going to take some significant investment in practice ranges, experts said at an AFA Mitchell Institute panel discussion on F-22s and F-35s on Capitol Hill Monday. “The plane is too smart” for the F-35 to be...

The Fight for Raqqa Begins

The Syrian Democratic Forces began its advance toward Raqqa, Syria, on Sunday. “The effort to isolate, and ultimately liberate, Raqqa marks the next step in our coalition campaign plan,” said Defense Secretary Ash Carter in a statement released Sunday afternoon....

Working with Turkey to Defeat ISIS in Syria

Marine Corps Gen. Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and his Turkish counterpart Gen. Hulusi Akar met at the Turkish General Staff headquarters on Sunday to hammer out a plan to defeat ISIS in Syria. After the...

Boeing Receives Contract for F-15 Electronics Upgrade

The Air Force awarded Boeing a $478.8 million contract to develop the Eagle Passive/Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) electronics upgrade for the F-15 Eagle fighter aircraft. In October 2015, Boeing received a $4 billion technology maturation and risk reduction contract...

USAF Makes it Easier to Decline Education Assignments

Air Force officers can now decline certain educational assignments without being forced to separate or retire, the service recently announced. The change pertains to in-residence intermediate or senior developmental education assignments, such as Air Command and Staff College or Air...