Todd South
Todd South served in the U.S. Marine Corps, deploying to Iraq during the Iraq War in 2003. He then attended the University of Georgia, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in journalism. He later worked at the Red & Black, the Anniston Star, the Chattanooga Times Free Press, The Record and Military Times. Todd earned his MFA in nonfiction writing from Goucher College and was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2014 for local reporting.
Recent stories by Todd South
34th Fighter Squadron ‘Rude Rams’ Win Coveted Raytheon Trophy
The 34th Fighter Squadron won the Raytheon Trophy for its air superiority performance in 2025 in two major Middle East operations and a series of responses in the Pacific. The F-35 Lightning II squadron received the honor following its role in Operation Rough Rider targeting ...
Pentagon Splits Combined US Forces Japan Forces and 5th Air Force into Two Commands
The Pentagon formally split the combined U.S. Forces Japan and the Fifth Air Force into separate commands, ending a dual-hatted arrangement that had been in place for more than 60 years. The separation means that the former combined commander, Air Force Lt. Gen. Stephen Jost, ...
Air Force Upgrades COVID Discharges, Extends Deadline to Rejoin the Service
The Air Force has upgraded the discharges of nearly 600 Airmen separated from service for refusing the COVID-19 vaccination and extended the deadline for those separated to rejoin the service. The Department of the Air Force announced March 19 that it had completed a proactive ...
Air Force Going Fast to Develop ‘New Class’ of Low-Cost Munitions
New approaches to acquisition, faster testing, and lessons from combat are shrinking the Air Force’s timelines for fielding low-cost munitions from years to months, a top Air Force weapons official told the Senate Armed Services Committee on March 24.
Testing Shows Progress on Key Air Force Missiles and Bombs
The Pentagon’s top weapons tester noted progress on key munitions for the Air Force in his latest report, covering everything from dogfighting missiles to hypersonics.
New Liquid Rocket Engine Flight Test Shows Promise for Affordable Hypersonic Missiles
A recent supersonic test flight conducted at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio could pave the way for affordable, maneuverable hypersonic missiles by leveraging advances in a decades-old technology. The Air Force Research Laboratory and Ursa Major, an aerospace and defense company, achieved supersonic flight ...
New Bomb and Old Fighter Both Striking Targets in Strait of Hormuz
The Air Force is using some of its newest bombs and some of its oldest planes to strike very different targets in the Strait of Hormuz during Operation Epic Fury—a high-tech bunker-busting bomb and the famous A-10 Thunderbolt II attack plane. Chairman of the Joint ...
Air Force Revisiting Production Goals for CCA with Eye Toward ‘Scale’
As the Air Force races to develop and field new semi-autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft, the service is also rethinking its production plan for CCAs—how many and how quickly—to replace the notional figures set several years ago.
Department of Air Force Loosens Up Time Off Rules Around PCS Moves
The Air Force is making it easier for Airmen to take time off around permanent change of station moves, along with several other tweaks to the service’s leave policy captured in a new Department of Air Force Instruction 36-3003.
B-1 Bomber Buildup at UK Base Hits Unprecedented Levels
About a dozen B-1 bombers are now at RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom as a base from which to launch strikes on Iran, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine—potentially representing more than half of the U.S. Air Force’s mission-capable ...
New X-Plane Promises Jet-Like Speed Without the Need for Runways
Bell Textron is now building a new vertical takeoff and landing X-plane, the X-76, that can achieve jet-like speeds, aimed at special operations missions and cutting ties to traditional runway-based aircraft.
B-1s and B-52s Pour into Europe for ‘More Bomber Pulses’ over Iran
As many as 11 U.S. Air Force bombers—plus additional support aircraft—have arrived at bases in Europe as Pentagon leaders promise to ramp up bombing runs over Iran as part of Operation Epic Fury.
Air Force Seeks More Companies to Build the Stand-in Attack Weapon
The Air Force wants more companies able to produce its new, multi-use, anti-radar missile that one expert says will prove vital in any future peer conflict and would be in high demand for the war in Iran if stocks were available now.
Air Force Test Launches Unarmed ICBM with Two Reentry Vehicles
The Air Force conducted its first test of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile in 2026 on March 3, launching an unarmed missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., equipped with two test reentry vehicles at 11:01 p.m. Pacific Time.
Promotion Rate for Senior Master Sergeant Dips for First Time in Five Years
The Air Force will promote 11.07 percent of eligible master sergeants to senior master sergeant this year, a decline from last cycle that snaps a four-year streak of increases. Out of a pool of 13,315 eligible individuals, 1,474 new E-8s were selected.
