Enlisted Airman Becomes First to Receive Air Force Cross

Sept. 9, 1967

Sgt. Duane D. Hackney is presented with the Air Force Cross for bravery in rescuing an Air Force pilot in Vietnam. He is the first living enlisted man to receive the award.

EA-37 Electronic Warfare Aircraft Deploy as Trump Weighs Large-Scale Ops Against Iran

July 23, 2026

The U.S. has deployed key new electronic warfare aircraft overseas that would be critical for a large-scale operation against Iran as President Donald Trump publicly weighs resuming a full-scale air campaign. Two EA-37A Compass Call electronic attack aircraft deployed from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., to RAF Fairford, U.K.

Air Force Wants New Ground-Based Launcher for Air Base Defense

July 23, 2026

The Air Force is searching for a new “ground-based launcher” as it ramps up its air base defense capabilities to counter enemy attacks from the sky.

Pentagon Awards Largest-Ever F-35 Spare Parts Contract

July 23, 2026

The F-35 Joint Program Office awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.6 billion contract for spare parts for the fighter jet last week, a record sum for the program, Lockheed officials confirmed July 23.

A $1.5 Trillion Defense Budget? Not So Fast, Experts Warn

July 23, 2026

On Jan. 7, President Donald Trump declared in a social media post he would propose a $1.5 trillion defense budget for fiscal 2027, a record-breaking figure that called to mind the Reagan buildup of the 1980s. Nearly eight months later, experts and Congress watchers agree that the prospects of the…

An Early Look at the Air Force’s New Counter-Drone Units

July 22, 2026

The Air Force has stood up the first rapidly deployable units of Airmen designed to protect air bases in the Pacific or other potential hotspots from aerial attack.

House Passes 2027 NDAA, Reconciliation Package, but Future in Senate Unclear

July 22, 2026

The House of Representatives passed its version of the 2027 National Defense Authorization bill and a new reconciliation package with $60 billion for the Pentagon on July 22, but both the policy and funding legislation face uncertain futures in the Senate.

Experts: What Canada Joining Sixth-Gen Fighter Program Signals for US Industry

July 22, 2026

Canada’s decision to join a European-centered sixth-generation fighter program as an observer is another sign that U.S. allies are increasingly looking elsewhere for key weapons system procurements, experts said.

Space Force Launch Program Sees Demand Surge from 60 Missions to 170

July 22, 2026

The Space Force is tripling the size of one of its main launch procurement contracts from $5.6 billion to $17 billion to accommodate growing demand from government customers.

Hegseth: Iran War Cost Now at $37.5B, Training to Be ‘Curtailed’ Without Supplemental Funding

July 21, 2026

The Pentagon’s cost estimate for the Iran War has risen to $37.5 billion, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told a congressional committee July 21—and without emergency supplemental funding, the military will have to “curtail” training to cover those costs, he added.

Enlisted Airman Becomes First to Receive Air Force Cross

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