The program executive officers for some of the Air Force’s largest acquisition management organizations are struggling to deal with an exodus of senior talent and experienced civilian staff, three of them told an industry conference.
Air Force Life Cycle Management Center
For an investment of less than $24 million, the Air Force was able to return a damaged B-2 bomber to flying status in November. The service offered an unusually detailed description of the methods used to fix the stealth aircraft.
A recent Air Force contract to buy up to $50 million worth of small drones from Anduril Industries may soon allow the service’s special operations command to transform its MQ-9 Reapers into drone-launching motherships.
The Air Force awarded a prototyping contract for a successor to the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, the hulking munition used to destroy Iran’s deeply buried nuclear development sites this June as part of Operation Midnight Hammer.
Military software developers are using generative AI-powered coding assistants to help them modernize decades-old legacy codebases, officials said this week. And the Department of the Air Force Bot Operations Team (DAFBOT), part of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, says it is leading the way.
A colonel and a brigadier general were each fired from high-profile jobs within two weeks of each other following investigations, according to the Air Force.
Changes to the depot inspection and maintenance process for the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber resulted in one aircraft returning to service 91 days ahead of schedule, a significant improvement for the B-2 fleet, which numbers just 19 jets.
The Air Force will display full-scale models of the two competitors for Increment 1 of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program at next week's AFA Air, Space & Cyber Conference.
The Air Force will soon award study contracts for prototype engines to power Collaborative Combat Aircraft. But the service insists it is leaving the door open to a wide range of options and thrust classes.
Editor’s Note: This story was updated Aug. 30 to include responses from Martin-Baker and the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center. The Air Force has cracked the door open to a competition for its Next-Generation Ejection Seat, four years after...
Brig. Gen. Luke C.G. Cropsey, or whoever succeeds him as the Department of the Air Force’s top acquisition official for command, control, and communications/battle management, is poised to take command of the new Air Force Information Dominance Systems Center. The service will also establish a program ...
Lt. Gen. Donna D. Shipton officially took command of the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center on Jan. 17, vowing to push forward on “continued investment and development to prepare for tomorrow's conflicts.” Shipton is the fifth commander of AFLCMC and first woman to lead the ...

