The Cold War Air Force was bigger, deeper, and readier than today’s. Here’s why it’s time for a reset. For the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States faces a true peer potential adversary in...
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The Air Force has six Institutional Commands focused on the recruit, train, and equip function of the department, and 10 Service Component Commands focused on meeting the needs of the nation’s joint combatant commands.
It’s time to return to disciplined budget preparation and careful strategic investment.
The U.S. Air Force must grow its 5th-gen fleet—and soon. Today, there is one aircraft in production that can answer that call: the F-35. The Air Force, Secretary Pete Hegseth, President Trump, and Congress must boost F-35 acquisition as rapidly as possible, writes Doug Birkey, ...
Sustained Munitions Production and Lower-Cost Designs By John A. Tirpak Munitions have long been a bill-payer in the Air Force budget—staples of warfare that, in peacetime, can be neglected or shortchanged to pay for more pressing needs—but after more than...
The Trump administration arrived in Washington promising to restore America’s military, reinvigorate deterrence, and bring back its warrior ethos. These are not things that can change overnight, but there is evidence of progress. Topics that were gingerly avoided six months...
Why retiring the B-1 too soon could undermine U.S. security. The U.S. Air Force plans to start retiring the B-1 Lancer fleet to make room for the new, sixth-generation B-21 Raider. But the Air Force is planning to do that...
As the U.S. Air Force awaits the E-7, Airmen keep the E-3 flying.
The F-47: Next Generation Air Dominance Boeing Wins Contest to Build the Next Manned Fighter. By Chris Gordon and John A. Tirpak When President Donald Trump announced March 21 that Boeing would build the Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter, he unleashed a...
More Air Force, a Missile Shield, and the Pentagon’s New Boss Allvin says today’s Air Force is too small. Can he convince Hegseth? By A&SF Magazine Staff A year into his role as Air Force Chief of Staff, Gen. David W....
Beijing is tight-lipped about its nuclear forces, which the U.S. estimates will include more than 1,000 deliverable warheads by the end of the decade.
At the most fundamental level, this requires the Space Force to have assured access to space. The Space Force must retain a diverse stable of launch providers, while expanding options for launch locations.