Chris Gordon
Chris Gordon is the Pentagon Editor at Air & Space Forces Magazine.
Chris has broad experience in journalism and communications, and developed a keen interest in defense policy and aerospace during his time on Capitol Hill where he worked with the Senate Armed Services Committee. As a reporter, Chris 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. His award-winning work at Air & Space Forces Magazine focuses on U.S. military operations, national security policy, and senior Department of Defense leadership.
Chris is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He also serves on the Board of Directors of Military Reporters & Editors, a nonprofit organization for journalists covering the military, national security, and homeland defense.
Chris can be contacted at CGordon@afa.org or chrisgordon.24 on Signal.
Recent stories by Chris Gordon
Caine: US Must Prepare for Forces to Be ‘Tracked in Real Time’
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine said the U.S. needs to prepared for future conflicts in which its adversaries will be able to closely track the location of American forces and attack with autonomous systems that use artificial intelligence.
Air Force Eyes New-Build F-16s to Boost Fighter Force
The Air Force will consider acquiring new F-16 Fighting Falcon jets to answer capacity shortfalls in its aging fighter fleet, according to multiple people familiar with the matter. These discussions are happening as the Air Force is building its proposed fiscal 2028 budget and the ...
More Fighters Deploy to Middle East Amid Readiness Concerns
A fresh National Guard squadron of F-16 Fighting Falcon jets is rotating into the Middle East, seven months into the U.S. conflict with Iran. The high operational tempo of fighter units is prompting the Air Force to address concerns about extended deployments in the Middle ...
Schiess Highlights Space Force’s Role in Epic Fury
Guardians are playing a critical role in U.S. operations against Iran, providing electronic warfare effects to stifle enemy air defense and communication systems and other space capabilities vital to the war effort, Gen. Douglas Schiess said in one of his first appearances since swearing in ...
Wilsbach Shares Airmen’s Stories of Epic Fury, Says 10 Got Battlefield Promotions for DUDE 44 Rescue
Ten Airmen received battlefield promotions for their roles in the daring rescue of DUDE 44, the crew of an F-15E Strike Eagle that was shot down over Iran this spring, Air Force Chief of Staff Ken. S. Wilsbach announced Sept. 14. Wilsbach revealed the promotions—a ...
Former AFCENT Commander Reflects on Lessons of Epic Fury
Operation Epic Fury marked the U.S. military's largest air campaign in a generation, with strikes on 13,000 targets in Iran before the first in a series of shaky ceasefires began in April. Now, even as hostilities continue to flare up, Lt. Gen. Derek C. France ...
Iran Damages US A-10, F-15s with Missile Attack on Air Base in Jordan
An Iranian ballistic missile attack on a key U.S. air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. warplanes, people familiar with the matter confirmed to Air & Space Forces Magazine.
US Strikes 5 Iranian Oil Tankers as More Fighter Jets Ordered to Middle East
In a dramatic flare-up in the hostilities between the U.S. and Iran, American forces struck and destroyed five Iranian oil tankers Sept. 8, U.S. Central Command said. Iran retaliated by lobbing ballistic missiles toward a major U.S. base in Jordan.
US Fighters, Drones Strike 3 Iranian Oil Tankers After Iran Fires on Navy Ships
The U.S. military struck three Iranian oil tankers on Sept. 5, as the Trump administration and Iran battle for control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Fresh US Fighter Jets Rotate into Middle East as Trump Tries to Up Pressure on Iran
The U.S. is rotating fresh fighter squadrons to the Middle East to support the Trump administration’s open-ended campaign of economic and military pressure against Iran.
B-52s Deploy for Bomber Task Force to Australia’s New BUFF Base
Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bombers landed at a northern Australian air base this week, a major display of the U.S. military’s ability to project force in the Pacific.
Air Base, Overflight Access Key to Pentagon Review of US Military Forces in Europe
The U.S. military’s ability to access air bases in Europe will be a central consideration as the Trump administration makes decisions on the future American military posture on the continent, the top Pentagon policy official said.
Sexual Assault Rates Decline in Latest Pentagon Survey Following Reforms
Sexual assault across the military decreased last year, according to the Pentagon’s latest official figures released Aug. 21.
Key C-17 Base in South Carolina Renamed After Sen. Lindsey Graham
A major South Carolina military base that serves as a key Air Force logistics hub was renamed after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham on Aug. 10 in a ceremony led by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Graham’s sister, Sen. Darline Graham.
KC-135s Battle Damaged in Iran War Arrive at Tinker for Repairs
The KC-135 Stratotanker that lost part of its vertical stabilizer in a deadly midair collision over Iraq in March is among a group of damaged tankers that have returned to Tinker Air Force Base, Okla., to be fully repaired.
