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
Smaller AIM-9X Could Give Drone Wingmen More Firepower
A combined Navy and Air Force program is seeking to build a smaller version of a ubiquitous air-to-air missile that could give advanced aircraft, such as the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, greater magazine depth in a high-end fight.
Air Force to Field Cruise Missiles on Cargo Plane Pallets in 2027
A yearslong effort to find an affordable way to turn cargo planes into strike platforms is now an official program with anticipated fielding in 2027.
SOF Insider Trading Case Spotlights Troops and Prediction Markets
The emerging ability to bet on future events using online prediction platforms puts a new twist on classified information: Now there are ways to profit from that insider information.
Air Force Wants to Nearly Double EA-37 Electronic Attack Fleet
Fresh off the first combat deployment of its new EA-37B, the Air Force is nearly doubling the planned number of new electronic attack jets and projecting more than $3 billion in spending on the program in the next five years.
AFA, Space Force Leaders Honor Gen. Schriever with Statue and Toast
The long-standing legacy of a man who first envisioned the need for the United States to achieve space superiority echoed through the decades at the unveiling of his bronze statue during the Air & Space Forces Association’s inaugural “Salute to Space” celebration on May 1.
USAF Plans $3 Billion-Plus for Executive Airlift, Air Force One
The Air Force is planning to spend $2.19 billion over the next five years to acquire new C-37 jets for transporting military and civilian leaders. That’s on top of another $1.17 billion in projected funding for the VC-25B “Air Force One” replacement.
Air Force’s 5-Year Plan: $12B to Buy Nearly 28,000 Cheap Cruise Missiles
The Air Force wants to pump more than $12 billion over the next five years into its new affordable long-range missiles program and recently asked industry to push the flights of some of those munitions beyond 1,200 miles.
New Laser Defense, VIP Transport Mission in the Works for HH-60W
The Air Force is requesting more than $200 million in its 2027 budget for its new combat search and rescue helicopter, including for capabilities to protect against shoulder-fired rockets and transport VIPs around Washington D.C.
New Bill Would Add Fighters to Air Force, Improve Aircrew Retention
A new bipartisan bill would increase the minimum number of fighter jets the Air Force must keep and give service leaders more flexibility to buy additional jets.
Pentagon Zeroes Out E-7 in Budget, Leaving Its Future Uncertain
The Pentagon did not include any funding for the the E-7A Wedgetail in its 2027 budget request, setting up another round in its fight with Congress over the future of the Boeing-built successor to the E-3 Sentry Airborne Early Warning and Control jet.
Northrop Delivers New Jam-Resistant Navigation System for F-22
Northrop Grumman recently delivered the first production-version of a new upgraded, jam-resistant airborne navigation system for the Air Force's F-22 Raptor and Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft.
Air Force Budget Plan Seeks to Boost Munitions
The Air Force’s fiscal 2027 budget request would invest $15 billion in its munitions portfolio, with $10.8 billion earmarked for weapons purchases and another $4.3 billion for research, development, test, and evaluation of new arms.
F-16 Tests ‘Rusty Dagger’ Extended-Range Missile
The Air Force recently tested the Rusty Dagger, a low-cost cruise missile, with the F-16, one of several industry offerings in the Pentagon's larger effort to field affordable weapons.
‘Angry Kitten’ EW Pod Tested on Search-and-Rescue HC-130
The Air Force recently tested its “Angry Kitten” electronic warfare pod on an HC-130J during Exercise Bamboo Shield, showing the pod can turn the rescue platform into a command-and-control node and protect it from enemy radars.
Extra $475 Million Puts Hypersonic Interceptor Program Back on Track
A recent injection of $475 million has reversed delayed delivery timelines for the Pentagon’s hypersonic missile interceptor by several years, Air Force Lt. Gen. Heath Collins, director of the Missile Defense Agency, told congressional leaders in an April 15 hearing.