Gen. John D. Ryan is appointed Air Force Chief of Staff.
Airmen won’t be sent home from enlisted professional military education schools next year for failing the course’s mandatory fitness assessment.
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The Space Force’s Space Development Agency announced $3.5 billion in contract awards to four companies to build a total of 72 missile warning and tracking satellites—the largest deal to date for its low-Earth orbit constellation.
2026 NDAA: 5 Highlights for Airmen and Guardians
Dec. 18, 2025
President Donald Trump signed the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act on Dec. 18, a day after Congress passed the annual defense policy bill for the 65th consecutive year. Here’s what it means for the Air Force and Space Force.
Space Force acquisition leaders say they’re worried the lapse in funding for the Small Business Innovative Research program could impede the service’s efforts to leverage commercial technology and innovation.
Air Force Shakes Up Acquisition Leadership
Dec. 18, 2025
The top of the Air Force's acquisition enterprise is in the midst of a major overhaul, with the Senate having confirmed a new four-star general to oversee acquisition from the Pentagon and Air Force Materiel Command getting downgraded from a four- to three-star command.
Air Force senior leaders are dialing back a forcewide requirement for commanders to hold quarterly “standards and readiness reviews” of their Airmen to once per year.
The Space Force’s Combat Forces Command is expanding its footprint with the creation of two new operations hubs for electronic warfare and satellite communications.
The Air Force is now expecting delivery of the first VC-25B presidential transport by mid-2028, months ahead of its last official projection, a service spokesperson said this week. USAF also announced it is buying two used Boeing 747-8 jetliners for training and spare parts to be delivered in 2026, calling the $400 million deal part of its “acceleration efforts” for the oft-delayed presidential airlift program.
The Department of the Air Force is limiting medical shaving profiles to a maximum of six months, down from the previous limit of five years, and will soon require Airmen and Guardians with profiles issued in the last 10 months to be reevaluated as part of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s…
