Matthew Cox
Matthew Cox has been a defense reporter since 1998. Prior to working for three years in media relations at Thales, he worked for Military.com from 2011 to 2021, covering Army and Marine Corps readiness and modernizations with a focus on weapons development and procurement. Before that he worked for more than 12 years at Army Times. He focused on modernization, training, and readiness as well as covering light infantry units in combat in both Afghanistan from 2002 to 2008. He also spent four years in the U.S. Army during the second half of the 1980s, serving as an infantryman in the 82nd Airborne Division.
Recent stories by Matthew Cox
Vietnam War Ace Seeks Medal of Honor for Comrade Lost in War
Retired Col. Charles B. “Chuck” DeBellevue, an Air Force combat ace from the Vietnam War, has joined a new fight to see America’s highest decoration for valor awarded to Maj. Bob Lodge—whose ingenuity has been credited for helping to turn...
NCOs Getting More Freedom to Pursue First Sergeant, Training Instructor Jobs
Air Force sergeants will soon have a more direct path to become training instructors, recruiters, and first sergeants in an effort to give Airmen more control over their careers, the service announced Sept. 30.
Industry Reps: US Can’t Go for One-for-One Kills in Drone Warfare with China
To succeed in future warfare likely to feature millions of unmanned aerial systems, the Pentagon should avoid getting into a one-for-one race with China and develop a quiver of options for downing many enemy drones at one time, defense and industry officials said at AFA’s ...
Big Changes to Air Force Basic Training: The Details Future Airmen Need to Know
The Air Force’s revamped Basic Military Training is set to launch on Oct. 7, adding more physical fitness training and new emphasis on operating in small teams for combat operations. Dubbed BMT 2.0, the new curriculum extends morning PT from 60 to 90 minutes and reduces ...
Officials Tout Digital Tools, Cyber Focus for New Sentinel ICBM
NATIONAL HARBOR, Md.—The Air Force and Northrop Grumman are pouring billions of dollars toward cybersecurity and digital modeling and testing for the new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, highlighting the scale and sweeping changes of ICBM modernization. And while the program...
Flying into Danger over Vietnam: Generals Share Tales of Time as Misty FACs
Retired Gen. Ronald R. Fogleman and Brig. Gen. Ross C. Detwiler, former Misty FACs, reflected on their time flying high-risk missions over Vietnam during a recent Heritage Foundation event hosted at the Joint Base Andrews Air Show.
Planning an Air Show Is Hard. At Andrews, It’s Even Harder
Joint Base Andrews opened its flightline this month to thousands of civilians, exposing a normally restricted airbase that regularly hosts the president and foreign dignitaries to a curious public eager to see current and historic military aircraft up close and in action.
‘Prepare to Abandon the Aircraft!’
Inside a Vietnam War aircrew’s shootdown and the fight to honor their courage. The 10 Airmen of Stinger 41 knew the risks of flying their AC-119K gunship in daylight over enemy anti-aircraft gunners—a rare mission for an aircraft designed for...
Rebuilding Arctic Defenses Will Be Key to Golden Dome: Report
The U.S. homeland is vulnerable to air and missile attack across the Arctic because the network of ground, air, and space-based defenses guarding those approaches have atrophied over time, according to a new paper from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
Air Guard Pilots Test HH-60 Helicopters Against an F-15 Fighter Attack
In a first, the Air National Guard recently tested how its new rescue helicopter would survive against attacks from enemy fighter aircraft to prepare for a potential war in the Pacific.
M18 Pistol Is Back in Action at Air Force Global Strike Command—with a Twist
Air Force Global Strike Command has cleared Airmen to carry the M18 pistol again after completing inspections of thousands of handguns following the July 20 death of Airman Brayden Lovan, a 21-year-old security forces specialist who was killed on duty when his M18 pistol discharged, ...
Air Force Seeks Fivefold Funding Hike for Mobile Base Defense Tech
The Air Force hopes to snag $836 million in fiscal 2026 for rapidly deployable air base defenses to thwart incoming drones and missiles.
Air Force Orders Force-Wide Inspection of M18s in Wake of Airman’s Death
The Air Force is performing a force-wide safety inspection on every one of its M18 9mm pistols as the service investigates the circumstances around the July 20 discharge of the service pistol that killed a 21-year-old security forces Airman.
Space Force Unit that Tracked Iranian Missiles Earns New Honor
The Guardians of the 11th Space Warning Squadron were honored as the top U.S. Space Force unit for 2024 for their role in thwarting Iranian missile barrages last year.
Air Force Works to Modernize Aging B-52 Simulators
Air Force B-52 program officials are gunning for a budget boost for new simulators that can adequately replicate challenging tasks crew members must perform on real-world bombing missions.
