America’s Air Force today is smaller and older than it was in my day, but what worries me more than size or age is just how ready we are to fly, fight, and win in a future war. I graduated...
military
We love letters! Write to us at letters@afa.org. To be published, letters should be timely, relevant and concise. Include your name and location. Letters may be edited for space and the editors have final say on which are published. Blending...
The blueprint is coming into focus; the road map remains cloudy. Golden Dome is one of the most ambitious defense projects ever mounted. It seeks to develop a missile defense shield for the entire continental United States (CONUS) against ballistic,...
A New Kind of CCA? Meet the Supersonic X-BAT By John A. Tirpak Shield AI has entered the increasingly crowded field of Collaborative Combat Aircraft, announcing Oct. 23 its “X-BAT” vehicle that stands out from others by having both vertical takeoff...
Collaborative Combat Aircraft Missions Come into Focus By John A. Tirpak Air Force Secretary Troy Meink is leaning toward a less costly, less sophisticated concept for Increment 2 of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) autonomous fighter escort program. Yet it...
From the President to returning hostages, the 89th Airlift Wing hauls some of the nation’s most precious cargo. JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. The 89th Airlift Wing is best known for its fleet that transports leaders to red carpet arrivals around...
Peace, Not War From this moment forward, the only mission of the newly restored Department of War is this:warfighting, preparing for war and preparing to win, unrelenting and uncompromising in that pursuit not because we want war, no one here...
Wilsbach Is Air Force’s 24th Chief of Staff By Greg Hadley Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach was confirmed as the 24th Air Force Chief of Staff Oct. 30 by unanimous consent. Shortly before, his predecessor, Gen. David W. Allvin, was “clapped”...
Long-Range Drones Target Battlefield Delivery By Greg Hadley A new startup has a contract with the Air Force’s innovation arm and a prototype to test its new concept: a network of “flying pickup truck” drones to solve the problem of...
The 10 Airmen of Stinger 41 knew the risks of flying their AC-119K gunship in daylight over enemy anti-aircraft gunners—a rare mission for an aircraft designed for night operations in the Vietnam War. It was May 1972, an intense period in the war, and they had ...
Allvin’s Retirement Casts Shadow on ‘Re-Optimization’ With his Aug. 18 announcement that he would retire this fall, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin ended months of speculation about his future and marked his tenure as among the shortest...
Stealth was a gamble 50 years ago. It’s still a good bet. S tealth technology has given the U.S. military an air of near invincibility for the past 35 years. Overwhelmingly successful in the 1991 Gulf War, and heavily refined...
