John Stillion


Recent stories by John Stillion

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

Search the archives for more stories by John Stillion