Collins and USAF’s History of Collaboration

Sept. 2, 2022

Collins Aerospace marks its 26th year of collaborating with the U.S. Air Force to upgrade more than 400 KC-135 aircraft with new Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) solutions under its open systems approach to the Global Air Traffic Management (GATM) program. Working together, Collins and USAF enabled the KC-135 to freely operate in civil airspace and remain  mission relevant, safe and reliable 60 years after the KC-135 was first introduced into service. 

Related

Air Force Releases Results from Inspections of M18 Pistols

Sept. 3, 2026
The Air Force has ruled the M18 service pistol is “safe and reliable” after inspecting more than 100,000 of the service’s 9mm pistols, according to a Sept. 2 announcement. Leaders ordered a force-wide inspection after a July 20, 2025, discharge of an M18 killed an on-duty security forces Airman at…

What Each F-35 Variant Really Costs Right Now

Sept. 3, 2026
The base cost of an F-35A, the Air Force variant of the Joint Strike Fighter, is going up 11.5 percent from $82.5 million to $92 million for the latest lots of the fifth-generation aircraft, Air & Space Forces Magazine has confirmed.

US and Iran Trade Strikes as Fighting Resumes in Gulf

Sept. 2, 2026
U.S. Central Command launched a wave of strikes against Iran on Sept. 1, and President Donald Trump said forces are “prepared to do another one” as Iranian forces launched retaliatory attacks Sept. 2.

MH-139 Reaches Initial Operational Capability

Sept. 1, 2026
The Air Force’s new nuclear security helicopter, the MH-139A Grey Wolf, achieved initial operational capability this month—a significant milestone in the service’s effort to replace its Vietnam War-era UH-1N Hueys but years later than originally planned.