Russia has significantly escalated strikes on Ukraine since President Trump took office, data show, defying his call for peace by increasing the range of buildings hit, including civilian ones. The rise in strikes reflects Russia’s growing munitions production and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s avowed determination to achieve his goal of dominating Ukraine by military means.
AI is one of the hottest topics in defense, especially when it ties to Collaborative Combat Aircraft. How will warfighters interact with the CCA agents, and how does the Air Force continue to train the autonomy after landing? Joining host Heather “Lucky” Penney to dig into this are two AI experts: Mike “Pako” Benitez of Shield AI and Ray “Krypto” O’Mara of the Mitchell Institute.
When the Air Force’s fiscal year 2026 budget request finally appeared in June, significant funding for the Next Generation Air-refueling System—known as NGAS—wasn’t included. That led many to conclude that the service had put on hold the concept, which included a potentially stealthy new tanker aircraft. But in late July, an Air Force spokesperson told National Defense, “No, the NGAS concept was conceived and is being analyzed as a family of systems with many options and variations, including current tankers with survivability mission systems.”
The Pentagon says that inflation, an ever-rising cost of raw materials, and supply chain woes are to blame for a “significant price increase” of Lot 18 F-35 fighter jets, including those currently under negotiation with the Swiss military.
The Air Force’s F-16-based electronic warfare suite is being rushed to the field to support an urgent requirement in the Middle East, according to industry officials. Northrop Grumman officials explained to reporters there is an urgent operational need for its AN/ALQ-257 Integrated Viper Electronic Warfare Suite that was validated over the summer from Air Forces Central for 72 systems to be fielded as soon as possible.
A new report estimates the Golden Dome missile defense program could cost anywhere from $252 billion to $3.6 trillion over 20 years—depending on which threats it counters and where it provides coverage. The vast range underscores how many questions remain unanswered eight months after Trump announced the initiative, according to a study published Sept. 12 by the American Enterprise Institute.
A Utah Air National Guard base will receive two new squadrons for cyber operations airmen, while losing a tactical air control party squadron, as the service continues to shift away from its Global War on Terror posture. The Air Force said Sept. 11 it has selected Roland R. Wright Air National Guard Base to be the preferred location for the Air National Guard’s new cyber operations squadrons. The 109th Air Control Squadron at the base will also be inactivated, the Air Force said.
A flight of six F-35B stealth fighters landed in Puerto Rico Sept. 13 to take part in the Trump administration’s enhanced operation against narcotraffickers, also aimed at Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro. They will join one of the largest US military deployments to the Caribbean in years
The Marine Corps put out new guidance Sept. 11 about the availability and integration of AI-powered Maven Smart System capabilities across the force. The release came a day after the Corps announced a new contract with Palantir for an enterprise license for the company’s MSS tool.
Striking Boeing defense workers in Missouri voted Sept. 12 against the company’s latest offer of a modified contract deal, according to the union representing the workers. More than 3,000 workers in the St. Louis area will remain on strike, the first walkout in almost three decades.
An Air Force recruiter has joined the service’s hall of fame for helping a staggering number of civilians decide they wanted to wake up early every day, wear the same clothes all the time, and do other genuinely important things, like selflessly serve their country. Tech. Sgt. Abdoulie Bah, a recruiter with the Air Force’s 350th Recruiting Squadron, got more than 100 new Airmen to join the service in fiscal year 2025, officials said in a release.
