Verbatim

Sept. 6, 2024
The Next Fighter Engine Cost is going to be a significant variable. … You could do a lower-cost engine and actually use something that’s available today, … or you go into something that’s brand-new. …Both of those variables are going...
New B-1 Pylon Creates ‘Hypersonic Testbed’ By John A. Tirpak The Air Force has begun using a new Boeing pylon to test a variety of weapons on the B-1 Lancer, the 412th Test Wing announced in August, and now has a...

WORLD: Personnel

Sept. 6, 2024
Change of Station Easier by 2025 By David Roza The top civilian in charge of Air Force and Space Force personnel matters wants to make moving between permanent assignments less stressful for Airmen, Guardians, and their families, and he wants...

WORLD: Russia-Ukraine

Sept. 6, 2024
Ukraine Unveils Its First F-16 Fighters By Chris Gordon Ukraine’s first F-16s were unveiled by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Aug. 4, ending a lengthy wait for the Western fighters Kyiv says it needs to defend its airspace from Russia....

WORLD: Readiness

Sept. 6, 2024
Sun, Spades, and Forklifts at Bamboo Eagle By David Roza MOJAVE, Calif. It was a quiet Sunday morning before the C-17 arrived. Hundreds of wind turbines churned the 100-degree desert air over the nearby Tehachapi Mountains, and the only air...
Small satellites lend themselves to many more applications than simply low-Earth orbit resilience.  Russian and Chinese offensive spacepower ambitions are making headlines and are intent on erasing the vital advantage the United States has in space. U.S. defense leadership now...

Fighting the Air Base

Sept. 6, 2024
Front-line air bases are like any other weapon system: They are only effective if they can function under enemy fire. Air bases at forward locations in the Indo-Pacific, Europe, or other theaters must be able to fend off complex integrated air and missile strikes, rapidly ...
In a potential fast-moving future conflict, spread widely across the Pacific, the U.S. would depend on mighty Air Force C-5 and C-17 airlifters to move vast amounts of military materiel. But they can’t do the job alone. Air Mobility Command’s 1,145 tankers and cargo aircraft ...
Our F-16 burst through the clouds above Spangdahlem Air Base on a crisp early morning in June, one of several Fighting Falcons from the 480th Fighter Squadron operating as an opposition force for a counter-air exercise. 

Faces of the Force

July 26, 2024
Tell us who you think we should highlight here. Write to airandspaceforces@afa.org.

Verbatim

July 26, 2024
A collection of quotes on airpower, space power, and national security issues.