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
Q&A: No Longer a Software Factory, What’s Next for Air Force’s Kessel Run?
Almost a decade ago, the Air Force created Kessel Run in 2017 as a military-commercial partnership and Airmen-led “software factory” in response to the service’s troubled rollout of the Air Operations Center 10.2. New leader Col. Brian Viola sat down recently with Air & Space ...
F-35 Drops 8 Bombs in Quick Succession During ‘Ripple’ Test
The Marine Corps recently conducted its first-ever “ripple” release of eight Small Diameter Bomb IIs from an F-35B, a key early step in proving out the capability for all F-35 variants.
Air Force Searching for Next-Gen Perimeter Air Defense Radars
The Air Force is looking to replace the three-decade-old radar warning system that protects the coastlines and borders of the United States and a few remote locations.
50 DAF Battle Network Programs Rolled into Single, $4.5B ‘Megatron’ Contract Vehicle
The Department of the Air Force is consolidating more than 50 programs supporting its efforts to create a vast battle network into a single $4.5 billion contract vehicle to streamline software and technology integration.
Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile Will Integrate onto B-52
The Air Force’s B-52 bomber may soon be able to carry up to 20 stealthy long-range anti-ship missiles to strike moving targets at sea, a key capability in a potential fight with China.
What Will a Growing MQ-9 Presence in Latin America Mean for SOUTHCOM?
A reported surge of MQ-9 Reaper drones to Latin America could widen the scope of intelligence gathering and free up more strike options against cartels in the region, experts tell Air & Space Forces Magazine.
Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile Has First Flight Test
The U.S. Air Force has conducted the first flight test release of its developing hypersonic cruise missile, with that test taking place in Australia.
Two Dover Airmen Sentenced in Multimillion-Dollar Cyber Fraud Scheme
A federal judge recently sentenced one Airman and a former Airman to a combined 15 years in prison and ordered them to pay $1.36 million in restitution for a two-year cyber fraud scheme they perpetrated while serving on Active-Duty at Dover Air Force Base, Del.
Air Force Honors EOD Community with ‘Visible Recognition’ of New Beret
Air Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal technicians and officers will soon join an exclusive club of troops allowed to sport a beret marking their special community and service.
7th Air Force Ends ‘Super Squadron’ Test, Returns F-16s to Kunsan
After a two-year experiment that created F-16 “Super Squadrons” at Osan Air Base just 50 miles away from North Korea, the U.S. Air Force has returned some of the fighters to its other base on the peninsula.
Drowning in Data: New Report Says Space Force Needs Lasers Comms to Beat the Bottleneck
The long-standing method for communicating data down from space via radio frequencies has the potential to create deadly data bottlenecks that could slow and stymie future operations, according to a new report from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. The report makes the case for ...
Pentagon Hands Out $20.7B Contract for AMRAAM Missiles to RTX
The Pentagon on Sept. 28 announced a contract potentially worth $20.7 billion for RTX to build Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missiles used by Navy and Air Force aircraft and for ground-based interceptors.
Software Deals Move Mobility Fleet Toward Common Operating Picture with Real-Time Data
A recent $21 million contract award to three software companies could give the Air Force’s airlift and tanker units real-time software updates in degraded environments, including aircraft fuel, logistics, and other mobility fleet data.
Air Force Certifies Anduril Barracuda Cruise Missile for Open System Updates
The Anduril-built Barracuda cruise missile recently received certification as the Air Force’s first large-scale production munition compliant with open systems architecture.
Air Force Injects $87M into IVEWS F-16 Electronic Warfare Upgrades
The Air Force has invested $87.4 million to upgrade the F-16 Fighting Falcon's electronic warfare capabilities, bolstering the fighter's self-protection against increasingly advanced threats. Bringing the total program value to $1.92 billion, the move is expected to jump-start fielding by funding low-rate initial production of ...