Operations Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury make this crystal clear: Bombers that can precisely deliver large payloads halfway around the world are crucial assets. Given the small size and advanced age of America’s current bomber inventory, it is time to boost investment in the B-21 Raider to ensure long range strike remains a viable option at scale for the foreseeable future.
Operation Midnight Hammer
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Operations Midnight Hammer and Absolute Resolve demonstrated the remarkable flexibility and overwhelming force possible when nations command control of the skies. It’s an object lesson to all who, having watched the carnage over more than four years of Russia’s war on Ukraine, some of whom have come to the erroneous belief that air ...
The Air Force has surged F-22 Raptor air superiority fighter jets and aerial refueling tankers to Israel for possible combat operations against Iran as the Trump administration continues to weigh embarking on an air campaign against the Iranian regime, and more fighters appear to be ...
The U.S. continued to move a significant amount of airpower toward the Middle East in recent days as talks to forge a nuclear deal with Iran hung in the balance. Flight tracking data indicate there was unusually heavy movement of dozens of fighter jets and ...
The U.S. military is moving to restock its supply of the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bunker-busting bombs it used against Iran's underground nuclear facilities last June, according to Air Force documents.
U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jets were observed flying toward the Middle East on Feb. 11, the latest step in the U.S. military buildup in the region as the Trump administration weighs possible strikes on Iran.
Retiring after 40 years of aerospace and defense journalism—31 years with Air & Space Forces Magazine—John Tirpak offers observations and advice on how to tell the Air Force’s continuing story. O ver the past few decades, the Air Force’s cumulative budget...
America’s ability to execute complex military operations may be second to none, but our capacity to fight a prolonged war is in doubt. Our unique technological advantages are eroding, as rivals strive to counter them and catch up. Worse, our defense in depth—that is, the ...
Air Force leaders hail recent strike missions like Midnight Hammer as a shining example of operational readiness, but that success also highlights the challenges ahead should USAF need to mount an extended long-range strike campaign.
The Air Force Historical Foundation has recognized two Air Force B-2 Spirit bomber wings among the winners of its 2025-2026 prestigious annual awards, selecting both for their part in Operation Midnight Hammer, the daring raid on Iran’s fortified nuclear weapons sites.
The first F-47 Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter will be ready to fly by 2028 and the first airframe is already being built, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David W. Allvin announced during a keynote address Sept. 22 at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference.