When Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Air Force Gen. Dan Caine described the 150 aircraft used in Operation Absolute Resolve, the mission to capture Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, he referenced many by name, including the F-35 and F-22 fighters and B-1 bomber. Not specified, however, were “remotely piloted drones,” among them a secretive aircraft spotted ...
RQ-180
Last Hurrah for the Storied U-2 By John A. Tirpak A year away from its likely retirement—and 70 years to the day after the first U-2 flight—a two-seat version of the Dragon Lady from the 9th Reconnaissance Wing at Beale...
Air Force Reveals Range and Inventory Goals for F-47, CCAs By John A. Tirpak The F-47 Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter will have a combat radius greater than 1,000 miles—nearly double that of the F-22—and the Air Force plans to acquire...
The Air Force has awarded General Atomics a $99.3 million contract for a stealthy, ultra-long-range surveillance aircraft design to be ready by 2028. The plane, nicknamed "GHOST," would also have a strike mission.
The first U-2 equipped with the Avionics Tech Refresh has flown, setting the stage for a test program and deployment that should carry the U-2 through its retirement.
At least 20 new airplane programs—including a handful that are variants—are in some stage of planning or development. If sustained, this airplane-building campaign will lower the average age of the fleet, increase its size, and enhance its ability to be upgraded rapidly.
