October 21, 1947

Oct. 21, 1947

The first flight of the Northrop YB-49 flying wing jet bomber is made. The Air Force’s Northrop B-2 stealth bomber, when it debuts in 1989, will bear a family resemblance to this airplane.

Air Force Plans New Campaign, Social Media Partnerships to Combat Recruiting Shortfall

March 31, 2023

Amid a high-profile recruiting crisis, Air Force leaders and experts have increasingly noted the challenging long-term trends the service will face in enticing young Americans to sign up—decreasing eligibility to serve, less propensity to do so, and less familiarity with the military. But while those same leaders say there’s no “silver…

US Should Consider Expanding Nuclear Arsenal to Cope with China and Russia, Study Says

March 31, 2023

A new report from a study group organized by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory hopes to shape a crucial emerging debate in Washington: how to manage two nuclear near-peers for the first time in U.S. history. The study argues the U.S. should consider increasing the number of its nuclear forces…

GAO Tells Congress: Pentagon Still Needs a Portfolio Plan for Tactical Aviation

March 31, 2023

A GAO official told the House Armed Services Committee that the Pentagon still doesn't have a portfolio-wide plan for tactical aviation, which would help itself and Congress identify true priorities and avoid duplication of effort. He also said the agency is worried that the F-35’s engine shortcomings are being addressed…

USAFA to Double Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Staff After Rise in Incidents

March 31, 2023

The U.S. Air Force Academy is doubling its sexual assault prevention and response (SAPR) workforce from 12 to 24 employees after a recent Pentagon report showed incidents rising across the service academies.

21 Tankers Line Up for Record-Breaking Launch as McConnell Practices ACE

March 30, 2023

More than 20 tankers lined the runway at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan., on March 27, for an “elephant walk” and the base’s largest mass launch of aircraft ever. Sixteen KC-46s and five KC-135s participated in the flush, with aircraft and Airmen from the 22nd Air Refueling Wing and the 931st…

F-35s Arrive at Kadena as F-15 Withdrawl Continues

March 30, 2023

F-35 Lightning II fighters arrived on Okinawa in March as the Air Force continues to swap out its permanently deployed F-15 Eagles at Kadena Air Base, Japan. Air Force officials declined to provide the exact number of F-35s at Kadena or say when more F-15s would depart, citing operational security.

It’s Official: ARRW Is Done When All-Up Tests Conclude. What’s Next?

March 30, 2023

The Air Force’s ARRW hypersonic missile program will end after another couple of tests, service acquisition executive Andrew Hunter told the House Armed Services Committee. His written testimony affirmed remarks from Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall that the boost-glide ARRW will be supplanted by the air-breathing Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile.

‘The Arctic is Trying To Kill You’: What It Looks Like When Airmen Train Far North

March 30, 2023

Two Airmen endured -45 degree temperatures during an Arctic survival course in the far north, where national security experts worry the U.S. is underprepared to counter Russia or China.

Collaborative Combat Aircraft Will Join the Air Force Before NGAD

March 29, 2023

The Collaborative Combat Aircraft will be operational in the late 2020s, several years before the Next-Generation Air Dominance family of systems, Air Force officials told the House Armed Services tactical aviation panel. The CCAs will first be “shooters,” then electronic warfare platforms, then sensors, in that order, they added.

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