April 30, 1959

April 30, 1959

Now officially retired, a Convair B-36J Peacemaker is flown to the Air Force Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio. This is the last flight of the mammoth-and controversial-B-36.

Last Warthog Departs Nellis as Base’s A-10 Era Comes to a Close

Sept. 24, 2026

Nellis Air Force Base, Nev.—a longtime hub for A-10 Thunderbolt II tactical training, operational testing and maintenance—ended nearly a half-century of flying the venerable Warthog on Sept. 22.

Air Force Bombers and Fighters Fly Over Chinese Leader’s DC Visit

Sept. 24, 2026

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state visit to Washington D.C. has been filled with signs of American airpower: U.S. Air Force B-1 and B-2 bombers and F-22 fighters have all performed flyovers Sept. 23-24.

So Long, Pave Hawk: Air Force’s HH-60G Combat Rescue Helicopter Completes Final Flight

Sept. 24, 2026

The Air Force’s HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter made its final flight earlier this month. The 129th Rescue Wing retired its last HH-60G with a final flight and ceremony on Sept. 10 at Moffett Air National Guard Base, Calif. The Pave Hawk is being replaced by an updated model, HH-60W Jolly…

Air Force to Cut Civilian Jobs from China-Focused Research Center

Sept. 23, 2026

The Air Force is slashing all civilian positions at its premier research institute for Chinese military aviation, prompting concern among experts who say it will dilute the service’s focus on the Pentagon’s most significant long-term adversary.

Air Force Experiment Looks at How Humans and AI Can Team Up for Command and Control

Sept. 23, 2026

A recent two-week experiment tested how Airmen and Guardians can team with machines and artificial intelligence to enhance command and control in complex scenarios—with researchers measuring everything from the heart rate of participants to the quality of their decision-making.

CCA Builders Start Revving Production Rates, as They Await 2027 Funding

Sept. 23, 2026

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc. and Anduril Industries both say they’re ready to produce Collaborative Combat Aircraft at a rapid clip and even expand that production, as they wait for a fiscal 2027 budget to fund that work.

Space Force Weighs Options to Boost Supply Chain Amid Production Surge

Sept. 23, 2026

As the Space Force eyes a possible fivefold increase in the number of satellites it operates on orbit, defense officials are looking for ways to shore up the industrial base to support that growth, which is expected over the next three to five years.

Experts: Affordable Munitions Could Help USAF in Taiwan Conflict, but More Is Needed

Sept. 22, 2026

A new think tank report calls for a buildup of U.S. drones and munitions needed for a potential fight against the Chinese military over Taiwan, thought other experts argue the report is missing some nuance in the munitions equation.

Investigators Blame F-16 Thunderbird Crash on Turned Fan Blade Deep in Engine

Sept. 22, 2026

A misaligned vane in an F-16 engine that field-level maintainers cannot see to inspect caused one of the U.S. Air Force's Thunderbird jets to crash last December, a new report concludes. The same problem led another F-16 to crash 20 months earlier.

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