Cpl. Vernon Burge becomes the Army’s first enlisted pilot.
Nearly 250 Air Force Reservists with space-related skills have been selected to be the Space Force’s first part-time Guardians, according to an April 22 announcement.
Related
Air Force Doubles Planned F-15EX Fleet to 267 Fighters
April 23, 2026
The Air Force is more than doubling the planned size of its new F-15EX Eagle II fleet, increasing the number of fighters it aims to buy from 129 to 267.
Space Force Budget Cuts SDA’s Data Transport Funding
April 23, 2026
The new Space Force budget request omits funding for future tranches of the Space Development Agency’s data transport layer, teeing up a potential debate in Congress about the future of the organization and the service’s plan for managing both tactical and enterprise communication needs.
Northrop Grumman recently delivered the first production-version of a new upgraded, jam-resistant airborne navigation system for the Air Force's F-22 Raptor and Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye aircraft.
The Pentagon did not include any funding for the the E-7A Wedgetail in its 2027 budget request, setting up another round in its fight with Congress over the future of the Boeing-built successor to the E-3 Sentry Airborne Early Warning and Control jet.
For 2027, so-called “pass through” accounts—money that funds other agencies and is never actually touched or used by the Air Force—will top $52.3 billion. That's 13.4 percent of the total department spending plan. But proportionally, that $52.3 billion accounts for a smaller share than in past years, when it has sometimes exceeded 20 percent.
The Trump administration on April 21 nominated Erich Hernandez-Baquero, an executive at Raytheon, to serve as assistant secretary of the Air Force for space acquisition and integration.
The Space Force announced April 16 the establishment of a Cislunar Coordination Office to manage and craft a roadmap for the service’s nascent deep-space missions.
Budget Calls for More Airmen, More Guardians in 2027
April 21, 2026
The Air Force and Space Force would both expand their ranks next year under the Pentagon's proposed $1.5 trillion 2027 budget.
