Chris Gordon
Chris Gordon is the Pentagon Editor at Air & Space Forces Magazine. He has broad journalism and communications experience, and developed a keen interest in defense policy and aerospace during a year on Capitol Hill where he worked with the Senate Armed Services Committee. As a reporter, he has covered everything from national security to hockey for a variety of publications, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Chris has reported from hotspots around the world, such as Ukraine and the Middle East.
Chris serves on the Board of Directors of Military Reporters & Editors, a nonprofit organization for journalists covering the military, national security, and homeland defense. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
Chris can be contacted at CGordon@afa.org or chrisgordon.24 on Signal.
Recent stories by Chris Gordon
Hegseth Visits Alabama to Cement Redstone Arsenal as Future Home of Space Command
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth visited the site of U.S. Space Command’s future home Dec. 12 and endorsed the move to establish the headquarters in Alabama after years of political back and forth.
US Troops, Interpreter Killed by ISIS Gunman in Syria as Trump Vows ‘Serious Retaliation’
The U.S. sent Air Force F-16s over central Syria in a show of force following the Dec. 13 killing of two U.S. Army Soldiers and one American civilian interpreter by a gunman linked to the Islamic State group.
B-52s, Japanese Fighters Fly Together After China and Russia Fly Bomber Patrol
Two U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers flew with Japanese fighters over the Sea of Japan after a string of Chinese provocations toward Japan—including a joint bomber patrol with Russia—in response to Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments about Taiwan.
Air Force Leaders, Lawmakers Move to Increase Training in the Pacific
The Air Force plans to conduct more intensive training—and Congress is set to help by boosting funding for exercises and so-called “campaigning” by hundreds of millions of dollars, particularly in the Pacific.
Australian MQ-28 CCA Downs Drone in Milestone Air-to-Air Test
A semi-autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone shot down an air-to-air target in a Dec. 8 test supported by the U.S. Air Force, a notable milestone in the development of the loyal wingman-type drones that will join the fleets of the USAF, other American services, and ...
Golden Dome Details Begin to Emerge
The Golden Dome air and missile defense shield to protect the United States will have some “operational capability” in 2028, the program’s leader said Dec. 6 at the Reagan National Defense Forum.
Northrop Shows Off New Project Talon Collaborative Combat Aircraft
There is a new entrant in the highly competitive field of collaborative combat aircraft—semi-autonomous drones meant to fly alongside manned combat aircraft. Northrop Grumman unveiled its new Project Talon aircraft to a small group of reporters at the facilities of its subsidiary Scaled Composites.
Support for NATO Reaches New High in Reagan Institute Polling
More than three-fourths of Americans would support using force to support NATO’s collective defense, according to the Ronald Reagan Institute’s latest annual National Defense Survey. The report comes as the Pentagon prepares to unveil its new National Defense Strategy, the lodestar for multiyear planning. It ...
F-16 Pilot Awarded Silver Star for Dodging Surface-to-Air Missiles over Yemen
An F-16 pilot was awarded a Silver Star for a harrowing mission in which he dodged multiple surface-to-air missiles during the opening weeks of the operation against the Houthis in Yemen earlier this year.
USAF B-52 Bombers, Navy Fighters Fly Near Venezuela
Multiple B-52H Stratofortress bombers flew off the northern coast of South America Nov. 20, the latest show of force by U.S. bombers in the region as the Trump administration builds up its military power in the Caribbean.
B-52 Flies over Dubai amid Trump’s Middle East Push
A U.S. Air Force B-52H Stratofortress bomber flew over the Middle East on Nov. 18 as the Trump administration moved to boost ties with Saudi Arabia.
Wilsbach Says Air Force Needs ‘Constant Focus on Readiness’ in First Speech as Chief
Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach said the service must improve its readiness in his first public remarks as Air Force Chief of Staff, made during a ceremony marking his ascension to the service’s top job Nov. 18.
Trump Says US Will Sell F-35s to Saudi Arabia
President Donald Trump said he plans to sell F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia, announcing his decision Nov. 17, a day before he meets the country’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the White House.
Ford Aircraft Carrier Enters Caribbean as Airpower Build-Up Continues
The USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier entered the Caribbean Sea, the U.S. Navy said Nov. 16, as the U.S. continues to build up its military might in the region, largely through airpower.
The Pentagon Wants to Buy Weapons Faster. What Will It Cost?
The emphasis on speed in the Pentagon’s newly unveiled slate of acquisition reforms may come with increased near-term cost increases, analysts say. But according to U.S. defense officials, the new weapons-buying construct provides the military with enough flexibility to prevent runaway budget overruns in major ...
