February 20, 1944

Feb. 20, 1944

The first mission of “Big Week”-six days of strikes by Eighth Air Force (based in England) and Fifteenth Air Force (based in Italy) against German aircraft plants -is flown.

Lockheed Quietly Delivered 1,000th F-35 in July; Clearing Full Backlog May Take 18 Months

Sept. 19, 2024

It'll take up to 18 months for Lockheed Martin to deliver the 100 or so F-35s that went directly from production line to storage, awaiting the completion of Tech Refresh 3 testing. Customers haven't complained about the order in which the backlog is being delivered.

PACAF Looks to Australia, Japan for Battle Management Help as It Waits for Wedgetail

Sept. 19, 2024

PACAF commander Gen. Kevin Schneider wants the new E-7 Wedgetail "sooner rather than later" and plans on leveraging Australia's E-7s and Japanese E-2s for a smooth transition. Schneider also says air domain awareness should be a layered solution, stressing ground-based capabilities.

‘Sensing Has Become Ubiquitous’: Satellite Imagery in Ukraine Offers View of Future Warfare

Sept. 19, 2024

The proliferation of commercial satellites is changing the character of war, a panel of military experts said at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference on Sept. 18.

Air Force Will Take Lead in Joint Prototype Battle Management Tech

Sept. 18, 2024

The Department of the Air Force will be taking over the Pentagon’s prototype Joint Fires Network, or JFN, as it transitions to a fully fledged program of record, program executive officer for command, control, communications, and battle management Maj. Gen. Luke C.G. Cropsey told reporters Sept. 18.

Here’s How a Continuing Resolution Could Hurt the Air Force in 2025

Sept. 18, 2024

The Air Force on Sept. 18 warned that a failure to pass a new budget for the federal government for part or all of fiscal 2025 could degrade military readiness and slow the arrival of critical equipment as Congress ticks toward a shutdown in less than two weeks.

USAF Experiments with Drones to Better Monitor Russia in the Arctic

Sept. 18, 2024

U.S. Air Forces in Europe is testing more uses for drones to extend its Arctic surveillance, emphasizing that while sharing information might be “the easiest and cheapest” option, it’s far from enough, its leader said.

Could Trainees Start Carrying Real Rifles in BMT? There’s Interest, but No Timeline Yet

Sept. 18, 2024

There is no timeline yet on when, if ever, trainees might be expected to bear actual weapons at Basic Military Training, the head of the 37th Training Wing said Sept. 18. But Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David Flosi said he views that as the “desired end state.”

‘A Fine Balance’: How to Manage More Exercises Versus Readiness

Sept. 18, 2024

The Air Force and Space Force will have to manage a delicate balance between building readiness and preparing forces as they conduct more realistic, large-scale exercises, senior leaders said Sept. 18 at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference.

Space Force Close to New Launch Contracts—But Only If Congress Passes a Budget

Sept. 18, 2024

The Space Force is preparing to award billions of dollars in launch contracts by the end of this year—provided Congress passes a budget. By the end of 2024, Space Systems Command wants to award a contract for the next phase of its National Security Space Launch program. It also wants…

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