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 serves on the Board of Directors of Military Reporters & Editors, a non-profit 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
B-52 Bomber Task Force Kicks Off in Guam as Pacific Exercises Rev Up
The Air Force kicked off a bomber task force deployment to Guam coinciding with a large-scale USAF exercise in the region that is intended to reinforce deterrence against China.
Iranian Ballistic Missile Hit US Air Base in Qatar in June, Pentagon Reveals
An Iranian ballistic missile struck Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar during Iran’s attack on the base June 23, the Pentagon told Air & Space Forces Magazine July 11. Defense officials have touted the success of U.S. and Qatari Patriot anti-missile systems in blunting the missile ...
SOCOM Halves OA-1K Armed Overwatch Buy for 2026
U.S. Special Operations Command is once again slowing its purchases of the new OA-1K Skyraider II multipurpose counterinsurgency plane, as the Pentagon pivots its budget to prepare for a high-end conflict following two decades of wars in the Middle East.
T-7 Completes Climate Tests as Air Force Pushes to Field New Trainer
The T-7A Red Hawk next-generation jet trainer underwent a second round of extreme weather testing as the Air Force presses to get the T-7 into production so it can replace the aging T-38 Talon.
KC-46’s Refueling Boom Damaged While Refueling F-22s
A U.S. Air Force KC-46 tanker suffered damage to its boom while refueling F-22 Raptors off the coast of Virginia on July 8, Air & Space Forces Magazine has confirmed, with reported radio communication from the crew indicating the boom “detached.”
Air Force Fighters Control Semi-Autonomous Drones in ‘Crucial’ Test
The U.S. Air Force recently took a significant step in its push to integrate crewed fighters with semi-autonomous drones, the service says. Pilots of an Air Force F-16C and an F-15E each controlled two XQ-58A Valkyrie drones in an “air combat training scenario,” the Air Force ...
Pentagon Keeping Bolstered Presence in Middle East in Wake of Iran Strike
The U.S. military is maintaining a beefed-up presence in the Middle East, including fighters and air defense assets, following the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities June 22 and subsequent retaliation by the Iranians against Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
Grynkewich Takes Over EUCOM and Warns: ‘Our Adversaries Are Aligning’
Air Force Gen. Alexus G. Grynkewich assumed command of U.S. European Command on July 1, taking over the key assignment as the U.S. and its allies contend with a resurgent Russia and a grinding war in Ukraine.
Air Force and Space Force Hit 2025 Recruiting Goals 3 Months Early
The Space Force and Air Force have both hit their fiscal 2025 recruiting goals with months to spare, extending a promising trend that has boosted the services’ ranks, officials announced June 30.
‘15 Years of Incredible Work’: The Inside Story of the Mission to Bomb Iran’s Nuclear Sites
The 36-hour operation by the U.S. military to fly deep into Iranian airspace and use Air Force B-2s to drop massive bunker buster bombs on a heavily fortified Iranian nuclear complex traces its roots to the work of intelligence analysts over 15 years ago.
NATO Allies Agree to Spend 5 Percent on Defense
NATO members pledged to ramp up military spending at their annual summit as they look to address growing fears about Russia’s ambitions and meet President Donald Trump’s demands that European nations contribute more to their own defense.
US Needs Troops in Syria to Stop ISIS Comeback, CENTCOM Nominee Says
The Islamic State militant group remains a threat in Syria and a U.S. military presence is still needed there to deal with it, Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper said in his confirmation hearing to become the next head of U.S. Central Command.
Iran Launches Missile Attack at Al Udeid
Iran launched a missile attack on Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, June 23 in retaliation for U.S. strikes on three of its nuclear facilities the previous day.
7 Air Force B-2s Drop 14 Bunker-Buster Bombs on Iran
The U.S. military struck three Iranian nuclear sites in the early hours of June 22 local time in Operation Midnight Hammer, intended to shut down Iran’s nuclear program without harming the country’s leadership. U.S. Air Force B-2 bombers and submarine-launched cruise missiles struck three sites: Fordow, ...
B-2 Bombers Launch Westward as Trump Weighs Striking Iran
Multiple U.S. Air Force B-2 Spirit stealth bombers have deployed out of Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., June 21 as President Donald Trump weighs whether to join Israel’s campaign against Iran, Air & Space Forces Magazine has confirmed.