Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James and Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh have tasked the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board to study three topics in 2015. They include, “cyber vulnerabilities of embedded systems in air and space systems; enhanced utility of unmanned air vehicles in contested and denied environments; and utility of quantum systems for the Air Force,” according to an Oct. 17 release. Fifty-four of “the nation’s top civilian scientists and engineers” make up the task force, which is slated to brief its findings to Air Force leadership by the end of June 2015, states the release. “The information and recommendations of the SAB will then be used to shape and guide Air Force policy,” according to the release. (Terms of Reference for 2015 studies.) (See also Put Your Thinking Caps On for reference to 2014 studies.)
NATO Scrambles Fighter in Newest Response to Russian Drones
Sept. 16, 2025
NATO scrambled its first fighter Sept. 13 under its new plan to bolster its defenses against Russian air incursions that was put into place after an array of Russian drones flew into Polish airspace last week, the officials from the alliance’s military command said.
