With the U.S. pulling back, European partners face an urgent call to fill in the gaps—especially in the air. Brussels; Mons, Belgium; Bodø, Norway; Luleå, Sweden; and Rovaniemi, Finland—This is not your father’s NATO anymore. It’s changing. The question is...
July/August 2026
Vol. 109, No. 7
Highlights from the July/August 2026 Issue
Since U.S. Air Force Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich became NATO’s top military officer in July 2025, the alliance has contended with Russian drone incursions, hybrid warfare against its members, and Moscow’s continued aggression in Ukraine. Now the Supreme Allied Commander...
Interview Interview: Meink Cites Progress After First Year as SECAF By Courtney Albon and Stephen Losey Just over a year after becoming the 27th Secretary of the Air Force, Troy Meink believes he’s making progress on his top priorities—increasing Air...
Bringing the Space Force into the Light
Precision strike is an Air Force mission, but it’s hard to be precise without the Space Force. Reflecting on his tour as the nation’s second Chief of Space Operations, Gen. B. Chance Saltzman pointed to Operation Midnight Hammer, where seven...
Ukraine Reimagines Strategic Attack
Ukraine’s long-range strike campaign successfully adapts classic airpower theory to its own present-day constraints. Since Russia’s 2022 invasion, outside observers have measured Ukraine’s prospects by a familiar yardstick: miles of territory gained or lost on the ground. By that standard,...
Editorial: Drone Disruption
Much has been said about how drones are changing the character of war. Ukraine and Iran offer different versions of the same lesson: relatively inexpensive, precise, long-range weapons are democratizing attack. They allow states that lack a traditional air force—or...
Autonomy and the Short-Range Air Fight
Imagining a future force of stealthy UAVs—and no manned fighters. By Frank Kendall This article is excerpted from the book “Lethal Autonomy: The Future of Warfare, Whether We Like It or Not,” by Frank Kendall, and published by Knox Press....
Faces of the Force
Click to enlarge Col. Bob “Farmer” Hines was selected to train with NASA as an alternate Artemis III mission crew member. His unique capabilities qualify Hines as a backup for every spot on the four-person Prime crew. While training, he...
Letters
We love letters! Write to us at letters@afa.org. To be published, letters should be timely, relevant and concise. Include your name and location. Letters may be edited for space and the editors have final say on which are published. All...
Verbatim
Verbatim – July/August 2026 × True Grit “I would welcome anybody to talk to our Airmen that have been downrange on the ground fighting or in the air fighting. You know it’s too bad that not everybody can see what...
WORLD: Bombers
By Stephen Losey The B-52H Stratofortress that crashed at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., on June 15 was testing a new radar planned as part of a major renovation of the six-decade old bomber. The cause of the crash remains...
WORLD: Space
Space Force Names 9 New Acquisition Execs By Courtney Albon The Space Force has finalized a major reorganization of its acquisition structure, creating nine mission area-focused portfolio acquisition executives (PAEs) with broad authority over the service’s development and procurement programs. ...
WORLD: Air Base Defense
ACC Battle Lab Seeks Counter-Drone Weapons By Matthew Cox The Air Force Point Defense Battle Lab is searching for more defense firms to demonstrate counter-drone capabilities at upcoming exercises designed to test base defenses against unmanned aerial attack. For the...
WORLD: Congress
Department of War? Closer to Official Name Change. Three of four congressional committees with influence over defense policy have voted to change the official name of the Department of Defense to the Department of War—but final approval of the Pentagon...
WORLD: Budget
House Unveils $60B Reconciliation Bill By Greg Hadley House lawmakers unveiled a new funding bill July 15 that provides $60 billion for defense—$290 billion less than what the President’s budget requested. The bill leaves President Trump’s plans for a $1.5...
Heroes and Leaders: Carl A. Spaatz
Air Force Profiles Carl A. Spaatz The USAF’s first Chief of Staff × Gen. Carl A. “Tooey” Spaatz. Illustration by Dashton Parham Carl Spaatz, known by all as “Tooey,” was the top U.S. air commander of World War II. Indeed,...
AFA Nominees 2026-2027
Candidates for National Officers and Directors. The Nominating and Governance Committee met by video conference in April 2026 and selected eight candidates to send forward for open National Officer and National Director positions on the Board of Directors. Voting Window...
AFA in Action: Steele Chapter Supports New Food Pantry
By Bob Hill The Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB) Food Pantry celebrated its first year of serving military-connected families throughout the National Capital Region. Sponsored by the JBAB Top 3 Council and supported by the D.W. Steele Sr. Chapter of the...
Complete Contents of July/August 2026 PDF
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