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
What the Air Force Transport Fleet Needs to Meet Surging Demand
The Air Force’s airlift fleet is in desperate need of modern connectivity, spare parts, and other innovations to keep going amid growing demand and modernization plans still in their infancy, according to a former senior leader and a new research paper from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
USAF’s ‘Re-Optimization’: Top Leaders Rule on What’s In, What’s Out
Less than two years after previous Air Force leaders announced a sweeping slate of changes, the new top brass is discarding more than half of them.
Pentagon Awards $1.6B Contract to Sustain F-35 Engines for Next Year
The Pentagon awarded RTX’s Pratt & Whitney a $1.6 billion contract for sustainment work on the F-35's engine on Nov. 28. The deal includes everything from software maintenance to spare parts for the F135 engine and runs through November 2026, spanning a dozen locations around the globe.
Drug Boat Strikes Spark Debate Over Legal Justification
The sinking of 21 boats and killing of dozens of accused “narco-terrorists” by the Trump administration over the past two months has sparked an intense debate among legal experts and lawmakers.
Air Force Wants to Transform Its Wargames with AI
Air Force Futures wants to take its wargaming up a notch, with the help of artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technology.
MQ-9 Goes Down Off the Coast of South Korea
An MQ-9 Reaper drone belonging to the U.S. Air Force crashed off the coast of South Korea on Nov. 24, according to a statement from the 8th Fighter Wing and local media reports.
Tennessee Guard to Receive Eight KC-46s
The Air Force has tapped McGhee Tyson Air National Guard Base as its preferred location for the next base to host KC-46 aerial refuelers, replacing the KC-135s that have been there since the 1970s.
F-35 Dropped Inert Nukes in Flight Tests
An Air Force F-35A successfully carried and dropped inert B61-12 nuclear gravity bombs in flight tests in August, a rare disclosure about the state of U.S. nuclear testing.
F-22 Pilot Controls ‘CCA Surrogate’ Drone from Cockpit
An F-22 pilot controlled an MQ-20 drone from the fighter’s cockpit last month, General Atomics announced Nov. 17—a preview of the Air Force’s vision for Collaborative Combat Aircraft.
NATO Cancels Plan to Buy E-7 Wedgetails
NATO is abandoning its effort to buy E-7 Wedgetails to replace its aging E-3 AWACS, the Netherlands Ministry of Defense announced Nov. 13—a blow to the uncertain future of the new airborne early warning and control aircraft. The alliance announced...
F-15E Aircrews Who Shot Iranian Drones Honored With Mackay Trophy
The crews of the two-ship F-15E formation that stared down the leading edge of Iran’s massive aerial assault against Israel in April 2024 were presented with the Mackay Trophy last week, further cementing their place in Air Force history.
Record Government Shutdown Ends, Pentagon Employees to Return
President Donald Trump signed legislation reopening the federal government late Nov. 12, ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history. The move sets the stage for tens of thousands of defense civilians to return to work and guarantees troops will be paid in a few days’ ...
B-52 Bombers Deploy to Spain, Train with Nordic and Baltic Allies
Multiple B-52 Stratofortresses landed at Morón Air Base, Spain, on Nov. 8 for the Air Force’s first Bomber Task Force rotation of fiscal 2026 in Europe.
Senate Passes Bill to End Shutdown, Keep Air Force Working on E-7
The Senate voted Nov. 10 to approve a stopgap funding bill that would reopen the federal government and keep it funded through January, a significant step toward ending the longest shutdown in U.S. history.
Three Air Force MAJCOMs Get New Leaders
With less pomp and public attention because of the government shutdown, three Air Force major commands have gained new leaders in the past week—continuing a major revamp of the service’s senior leadership.
