Jack Broughton


Recent stories by Jack Broughton

Key E-3 AWACS Damaged in Iranian Attack on Saudi Air Base

An important U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS command and control plane was among the aircraft damaged in a March 27 Iranian missile and drone attack on Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

MacDill Remains on Alert as Indictments Drop in Failed Bomb Attack

MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., home of U.S. Central Command, remains on heightened security status after the Justice Department announced two indictments stemming from an attempted bombing at the base. Alen Zheng, 20, of Land O’Lakes, Fla., was charged March...

Air Force Seeks Suppliers to Deliver on Nuclear Micro-Reactor Goals

The Air Force is advancing its effort to develop micro-nuclear reactors to power military installations. In a request for information posted March 25 on SAM.gov, the Air Force said it is looking for information from companies on their ability to design, license, fuel, construct, and ...

Military Prepares to Accept F-35s Without Radars

The first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter with ballast, rather than an advanced radar in its nose, flew an acceptance flight the last week of February, Air & Space Forces Magazine has learned. F-35s will arrive without radars at Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps bases ...

USAF F-35 Lands After Taking Fire Over Iran; Pilot Stable

An Air Force F-35A fighter was forced to conduct an emergency landing at a U.S. air base after being struck by ground fire during a combat mission over Iran on March 19, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.

STRATCOM Boss: Pentagon Eyes Second B-21 Production Line

The U.S. military struck a $4.5 billion deal last month to increase the rate of production on its new B-21 bomber. Now officials are considering whether they will open up an entire second production line to go even faster in constructing the sixth-generation stealth Raider.

F-47 Won’t Be Available Until Mid-2030s, Top Lawmaker Says

The Air Force’s sixth-generation F-47 and the Navy’s F/A-XX fighter won’t be “available” until the mid-2030s, a leading congressman said March 17, which will require the services to keep older jets flying in the interim.

Air Force to Buy Developmental E-7s With $2.4B Contract Modifications

The Air Force on March 12 awarded contract modifications worth a combined $2.4 billion to Boeing to procure an undisclosed number of E-7 Wedgetail as part of the program's engineering and manufacturing development phase and continue work on the airborne battle management aircraft’s radar.

KC-135 Crashes In Iraq While Supporting Iran Ops

A U.S. Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker supporting Operation Epic Fury against Iran crashed in western Iraq after an incident involving two aircraft March 12, U.S. Central Command announced. The aircraft were not shot down, CENTCOM added.

Celebrating 100 Years of Liquid-Fueled Rockets

March 16, 2026, marks 100 years since Dr. Robert H. Goddard launched the world’s first liquid-fueled rocket. Over the past century, new and ever more capable liquid-fueled rockets have literally propelled humanity into space. Why liquid-fueled rockets?

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