September 13, 2002

Sept. 13, 2002

The Air Force awards the Air Force Cross posthumously to SrA. Jason D. Cunningham, a pararescue jumper (PJ), for his heroic actions March 4, 2002, during Operation Anaconda in Afghanistan.

SDA’s Next Phase of Data Transport Satellites on Hold

June 30, 2025

The long-term future of one of the Space Development Agency’s two satellite constellations is on hold as officials study the options for replacing a planned “data transport layer” with one or more commercial solutions. President Trump’s proposed 2026 defense budget...

Air Force and Space Force Hit 2025 Recruiting Goals 3 Months Early

June 30, 2025

The Space Force and Air Force have both hit their fiscal 2025 recruiting goals with months to spare, extending a promising trend that has boosted the services’ ranks, officials announced June 30.

Air Force Munitions Gets Big Boost from Reconciliation

June 28, 2025

Thanks to reconciliation, the fiscal 2026 Air Force budget would get a surge of munitions procurement, but it's not yet clear if the production increase will be sustained. The Air Force revealed the secret AIM-260 air-to-air missile's funding for the first time.

Lonely Days, Restless Nights: New Study Looks at How Military Spouses Are Holding Up

June 27, 2025

A new survey found that military and veteran spouses experience depression and anxiety at two to three times the rate of the general population, with many also reporting difficulty finding community, peer support, and suitable employment.

‘Excess’ Nuclear Missile Funds Used to Modify Trump’s New Air Force One

June 27, 2025

The Air Force diverted what it says was excess funding from its delayed new nuclear missile program to modify a former Qatari royal jet for use as President Donald Trump’s Air Force One, the service’s top civilian said June 26.

New Report: Loose Safety Pin, Straps Led to Ejection Mishap that Killed T-6 Pilot

June 27, 2025

An instructor pilot didn’t fully insert a safety pin into his T-6 ejection seat when taxiing after a flight last spring, then inadvertently pulled the handle while not fully buckled into his seat—leading to his death when the ejection system sent him 100 feet into the air at Sheppard Air Force…

Air Force Set to Cancel E-7 Wedgetail Buy

June 26, 2025

The Air Force plans to cancel its program to purchase a fleet of E-7 Wedgetail airborne target-tracking jets as part of the fiscal 2026 budget, a senior defense official confirmed June 26.

‘15 Years of Incredible Work’: The Inside Story of the Mission to Bomb Iran’s Nuclear Sites

June 26, 2025

The 36-hour operation by the U.S. military to fly deep into Iranian airspace and use Air Force B-2s to drop massive bunker buster bombs on a heavily fortified Iranian nuclear complex traces its roots to the work of intelligence analysts over 15 years ago.

How the 2026 Budget Shapes the Future Air Force Fighter Fleet: What’s In, What’s Out

June 26, 2025

The Air Force's fiscal 2026 combat aircraft budget request goes big on the new F-47 and B-21, but only buys 45 new fighters, less than half its traditional goal. The service said it can only buy what industry can make, and the desired 72 fighters is "not...achievable."

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