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
Kuwaiti F/A-18 Aircraft Suspected of Shooting Down US F-15s
Kuwaiti aircraft are suspected to be responsible for the shootdown of three U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles on March 2, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
Air Force Updates Scoring Charts for New Fitness Test
The Air Force has released updated scoring charts for its new physical fitness test to mark the March 1 start of its three-month diagnostic test period. Airmen will begin taking the new test for the record on July 1.
AMC Boss: New Airlifter, Connectivity Are Top Problems to Solve
Air Mobility Command’s interim boss said the Air Force is behind on modernizing its airlift fleet, to include selecting a Next-Generation Airlifter to replace the service’s fleet of C-5 and C-17 workhorses—a project that faces stiff competition for resources in the service’s modernization portfolio.
CMSAF Wolfe’s Formula for Building a Winning Team
Against a backdrop of a video replay of the U.S. men's hockey team’s stunning overtime victory to win the gold medal at the Olympics, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David R. Wolfe presented his leadership ideals at AFA's 2026 Warfare Symposium on Feb. ...
AMC Still Open to Wide Range of Options for New Tanker, Including Family of Systems
Air Mobility Command has not ruled out a family of systems strategy for the service’s Next-Generation Air Refueling System.
Air Force Expanding ‘Airminded’ Exercises from New BMT to Tech Schools
The Air Force has restructured its tech schools to ensure new service members don’t forget that they are Airmen first despite their specialty—the primary lesson of the service’s recent transformation of basic military training.
Air Force Eyes Small Engines for Future CCAs with New Contracts
The Air Force has awarded multimillion contracts to two industry teams to design small prototype engines for the service’s future Collaborative Combat Aircraft, according to Feb. 23 announcements.
New CMSAF Speaks: Wolfe on Standards, Teaching, and Rapport with Wilsbach
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David R. Wolfe will deliver his first keynote speech to the force this week at AFA’s 2026 Warfare Symposium—a talk aimed at helping Airmen understand what they can expect from the service’s top enlisted Airman and how their ...
Northrop, Embraer Team Up to Pitch a Tactical Tanker for Dispersed Ops to USAF
Contractors Northrop Grumman and Embraer are teaming up to offer the Air Force and U.S. allies a tactical mobility aircraft—designed for aerial refueling and cargo transport—to support Airmen operating from remote airfields with soft-soil airstrips, company officials said Feb. 19.
Massive Bamboo Eagle Exercise Returns, with Focus on C2 ‘Nervous System’
The Air Force kicked off one of its biggest exercises this week with the latest edition of Bamboo Eagle, featuring combined virtual and live training scenarios focused on test the command-and-control “nervous system” leaders need to operate on a complex joint battlefield spread over vast ...
El Paso Airspace Shutdown Is ‘Case Study’ in Complexity of Counter-Drone Ops: Experts
The use of a military counter-drone laser on the southwest border this week—which prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to abruptly close the airspace over El Paso, Texas—will be a “case study” on the complex web of authorities needed to employ such weapons near civilian areas ...
CMSAF: Air Force Working on 17 New Child Care Centers
The Air Force’s senior enlisted leader told lawmakers that the service is working on 17 new on-base child care facilities to reduce a space shortfall and clear a backlog of Airmen’s children waiting for slots.
F-16 Pilot Becomes First Air Guardsman to Win Prestigious Shine Award
Air Force F-16 pilot Lt. Col. Eric R. Emerson, who commanded a small quick reaction force of fighters responding to Iranian-backed militia groups in 2024, became the first Air National Guardsman presented with the Anthony C. Shine Award on Feb. 10.
Airmen, Soldier Shot in DC Attack to Receive the Purple Heart
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, one of two National Guard members shot in a Washington, D.C., attack, will soon be awarded the Purple Heart.
Air Force’s Anticipated William Tell Weapons Meet Postponed
A few weeks after the Air Force announced its prestigious William Tell Air-to-Air Weapons Meet would return in March, the service has decided to postpone the event to later this year, according to Air Combat Command.
