Tobias Naegele

Tobias Naegele is the editor in chief of Air & Space Forces Magazine. The long-time chief editor of the Military Times group, along with Defense News, he was the founding editor of Marine Corps Times and, before that, Military & Aerospace Electronics. He is no less fascinated by the convergence of technology and military policy, and of telling the military’s stories that he was when he first reported on these topics four decades ago. 


Recent stories by Tobias Naegele

Editorial: An Unfulfilled Offset Strategy

In the absence of a rival superpower in the 1990s, and with the miscalculations of the post-9/11 counterinsurgency campaigns, the successive administrations, the Pentagon, and Congress managed to squander America’s technological edge.

Editorial: A Lesson Learned 

The principles of the Powell Doctrine and the effective deterrence that it should yield remain relevant today as we contemplate a new Cold War with China and two regional conflicts in which American policy is deeply intertwined.

Editorial: Change and Shortchanged

Three decades of underfunding and deferred modernization have left the Air Force ill-equipped for peer conflict, and there’s only one way to fix that: Spend big. 

New Commands, Ranks, and More: Big Changes for Air Force & Space Force

The Air Force and Space Force rolled out sweeping changes to the services’ organization, manning, readiness, and weapons development Feb. 12 at the AFA Warfare Symposium. The changes aim to ratchet up readiness and gain a warfighting edge in the face of intensifying great power ...

Will the Air Force Bring Back Warrant Officers?

A purported Air Force planning document circulating on social media suggests the service is considering bringing back warrant officers, but a spokesperson declined to confirm the document’s veracity.

Editorial: Re-Optimize Now  

Having focused the services’ modernization efforts around seven Operational Imperatives designed to accelerate the injection of new capabilities into the force, Kendall is now setting his sights on organizational impediments to change.

AFA’s Next CEO: The Search Is On 

The search for the Air & Space Forces Association's next President & CEO is underway, and the search committee is casting a wide net to identify as many qualified candidates as possible by Jan. 13, 2024.

Editorial: Follow Through

Recent Chiefs put the Air Force on the right course. Allvin’s mission is to deliver on those promises.

Editorial: Power Up

The conflicts in Israel and Ukraine could not be more different. The lessons for Americans could not be greater.

Editorial: All Together Now

Divisive politics here at home undermine confidence in the United States among our own citizens as well as our allies.

Editorial: China Syndrome 

We are also in a modern-day arms race, in some cases playing catch-up, and we are competing to win friends and influence nations worldwide.

Editorial: Build an Air Force

To achieve that, Congress and the Pentagon must make a strategic shift in priorities, providing an additional redirecting of $10 billion to $20 billion annually to the Department of the Air Force. This is the only way to remain ready today while modernizing for tomorrow.

Editorial: An Airman Will Be Chairman

For the first time in 18 years, an Airman will be the commander in chief’s top military adviser, and not a moment too soon. As Chairman, Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. will have an opportunity to exert influence across the joint enterprise, including how requirements ...

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