Franklin Hibel
Recent stories by Franklin Hibel
Lawmakers Seek Extra Scrutiny of Air Force Missile Community Cancer Concerns
The Air Force has spent more than two years studying cancer risks to Airmen who work with the service's intercontinental ballistic missiles. Now lawmakers in Congress are placing fresh scrutiny on the issue and have prepared legislation that would direct the service to clean silos ...
NORAD Intercepts Russian Bombers and Fighters near Alaska
Russian warplanes conducted a flight off the coast of Alaska on July 22, prompting an intercept from aircraft assigned to North American Aerospace Defense Command.
Space Force Will Begin Assuming National Guard Missions in October
The Space Force will begin assuming space missions currently conducted by the Air National Guard starting at the beginning of October, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
USAF Pilots Fly Australian F-35 in Pacific First
The U.S. Air Force put two of its pilots in the cockpit of Royal Australian Air Force F-35A Lightning IIs during the large-scale Talisman Sabre exercise in Australia last week. The move, intended to strengthen interoperability among allies, provides U.S. Air Force pilots with a unique ...
Bussiere, Bratton Tapped For Air Force and Space Force Vice Chief Roles
The Air Force and Space Force are both set to have new No. 2 officers. Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere has been nominated for Air Force Vice Chief of Staff and Lt. Gen. Shawn N. Bratton has been nominated to receive a fourth star as the ...
B-52s Escorted by Korean and Japanese Fighters as Defense Chiefs Meet
The U.S., South Korea, and Japan flew an unusual trilateral flight with two U.S. B-52H Stratofortress bombers escorted by two Japan Air Self-Defense Force F-2s, and two ROK Air Force KF-16 fighters—both countries’ respective variants of the F-16—July 11. That same weekend, the top military ...
F-15EX Fighters Deploy to Japan for Training as Kadena Prepares for New Jets
Two F-15EX Eagle II fighters arrived for training at Kadena Air Base, Japan, July 12 as the base gears up to receive a permanent fleet of the jets.
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.
