Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said May 22 that Ukrainian pilots could learn to fly the F-16 Fighting Falcon in a matter of months and the aircraft will be an important element of the nation’s future defense capability. “They’re very motivated,” Kendall said. “Everything we’ve ...
The Air Force is preparing to unveil a 30-year fighter force design that calls for two new fighters—one for high-end fights and one for less demanding missions—a new way of providing close air support, and the retirement of the F-22 starting in about 2030, a ...
Sharply rising support costs among aging fleets are devouring money the Air Force needs to spend on new technology and new hardware, service Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. David S. Nahom said. The Air Force has to figure out how to divest old hardware ...
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. wants to neck down the Air Force's fighter inventory from seven fleets to four, and the F-22 is not on his short list. The extant seven-fleet mix of fighters will need to be reduced to ...
The Pentagon needs an overseer at the highest level for the joint electromagnetic warfare fight to coordinate responses to China and Russia, experts said at a Hudson Institute webinar. The services' fragmented approach can be overcome by the enterprise approach taken by U.S. adversaries, they ...
The F-35A fleet is now the second largest in the Air Force’s inventory, behind the F-16 but surpassing F-15s and A-10s. There are now 283 Joint Strike Fighters in the Air Force’s arsenal, compared to 281 A-10s, 234 F-15C/Ds, and 218 F-15Es. Air Force Chief ...
Top Department of the Air Force leaders told lawmakers May 7 they need to divest aging aircraft to make room for more advanced systems, setting up a now familiar budget fight on Capitol Hill. “America cannot wait to modernize the Air Force any longer, not ...
The Air Force's new mission statement is familiar, all-encompassing, and joins two parallel aspects of the service's 74-year history: “To fly, fight, and win … Airpower anytime, anywhere.” The new mission statement focuses on air alone, now that the Space Force is independent, and emerged ...
The Air Force has a new chief scientist: Victoria Coleman, who most recently was the director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Coleman started in her role as the 37th chief scientist of the Air Force last week, and was ceremoniously sworn in by ...
The new “revolution in military affairs” is the recognition that information and speed of decision-making will be the keys to victory in a future conflict, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. said in a March 29 panel discussion with Army Chief ...
The Army is pursuing its own deep strike and suppression of enemy air defense capability—roles and missions assigned to the Air Force. The Army is already setting up a forward-based task force that will direct the employment of hypersonic and mid-range missiles for the mission ...
The Air Force's new tactical aviation study will determine if a surge in F-35 production is needed in order to buy out the planned 1,763 airplanes before the 2040s. But that decision also will depend on funding, contractor capacity, and the need for complementary aircraft, ...