Greg Hadley
Greg Hadley is the News Editor of Air & Space Forces Magazine. A graduate of the University of Notre Dame, he has more than nine years of experience in national and local media, working for The State (Columbia, S.C.) and the McClatchy D.C. Bureau.
Recent stories by Greg Hadley
USAF Adds to SOUTHCOM Buildup, Deploying F-35s to Puerto Rico
F-35As from the Vermont Air National Guard have deployed to Puerto Rico in recent days, continuing a major buildup of U.S. Air Force assets in Latin America aimed at combating drug trafficking and pressuring the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Wilsbach Wants Air Force Leaders to Get Back in the Cockpit
Three weeks after being sworn in as the new Chief of Staff of the Air Force, Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach climbed into the cockpit of an F-22 fighter on Nov. 24 and prepared to take off from Langley Air Force Base, Va. Now he wants the rest of ...
Air Force Designates New Northrop CCA as YFQ-48A
The Air Force has given Northrop Grumman’s new Project Talon aircraft the official designation of YFQ-48A, the service announced Dec. 22. That makes Northrop's potential competitor for USAF's Collaborative Combat Aircraft program the third CCA to be designated an uncrewed fighter aircraft.
Air Force Shutting Down AI Chatbot NIPRGPT
NIPRGPT, the Air Force’s generative artificial intelligence chatbot, will shut down Dec. 31—making way for the Pentagon’s new GenAI.mil system.
2026 NDAA: 5 Highlights for Airmen and Guardians
President Donald Trump signed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act on Dec. 18, a day after Congress passed the annual defense policy bill for the 65th consecutive year. Here’s what it means for the Air Force and Space Force.
Air Force Shakes Up Acquisition Leadership
The top of the Air Force's acquisition enterprise is in the midst of a major overhaul, with the Senate having confirmed a new four-star general to oversee acquisition from the Pentagon and Air Force Materiel Command getting downgraded from a four- to three-star command.
USAF Moves Up Air Force One Delivery; Acquires 2 Extra 747-8s for Parts, Training
The Air Force is now expecting delivery of the first VC-25B presidential transport by mid-2028, months ahead of its last official projection, a service spokesperson said this week. USAF also announced it is buying two used Boeing 747-8 jetliners for training and spare parts to be delivered in 2026, calling the $400 million deal part of its “acceleration efforts” for the oft-delayed presidential ...
Numbers Game Squeezes USAF Fighter Force
Congress set the legal floor for how many primary mission aircraft the Air Force had to have in its fighter force in 2018, requiring at least 1,145 fighters through Oct. 1, 2026. In each of the past past two legislative cycles, lawmakers agreed to reduce the number. ...
Air Force to Take Back on Looking Glass Mission for Nuclear C3
More than a quarter-century after handing over the mission to the Navy, the Air Force is taking the first steps towards taking back over a critical nuclear command, control, and communications function.
Congress Poised to Save E-7 Wedgetail in New NDAA
Congress is getting closer to saving the E-7 Wedgetail from the Pentagon chopping block, with the House of Representatives preparing to pass the presumptive final version of the National Defense Authorization bill this week.
In Defense Bill, Congress Rejects Bid to Retire A-10s, F-15Es
Lawmakers resolving differences in the House and Senate versions of the National Defense Authorization bill want to stop cuts to the Air Force’s combat fleet by blocking scores of planned divestments of aging A-10 and F-15E fighters.
New STRATCOM Boss Stresses Deterrence in ‘Tech-Saturated’ World
Navy Adm. Richard Correll succeeded Air Force Gen. Anthony J. Cotton as head of U.S. Strategic Command on Dec. 5, stressing the need for the combatant command to understand and embrace new technologies for its deterrence mission.
AETC Gets Its Hands on 1st Production T-7 Trainer
Air Education & Training Command received its first T-7A Red Hawk when the long-awaited next-generation jet trainer landed at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph on Dec. 5.
Thunderbird F-16 Crashes in California, Pilot OK
An Air Force F-16 Thunderbird crashed Dec. 3 near Death Valley, Calif., with the pilot ejecting safely. In a statement, the Thunderbirds—officially the U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron—said the incident occurred at approximately 10:45 a.m. local time “during a training mission over controlled airspace ...
100th KC-46 Joins the Air Force Fleet
The U.S. Air Force’s KC-46 Pegasus fleet hit a major milestone Dec. 2 with the delivery of its 99th and 100th aircraft at Travis Air Force Base, Calif.

