September 20, 1951

Sept. 20, 1951

The Air Force makes the first successful recovery of animals from rocket flight when a monkey and 11 mice survive an Aerobee flight to 236,000 feet.

Details Murky as ARRW Falls Short in Second Test

March 24, 2023

The second all-up flight of the AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon on March 13 fell short of a fully successful test, but the Air Force isn’t saying what went wrong with the Lockheed Martin-built hypersonic missile. The defense giant's Missiles and Fire Control division recently said the ARRW is "ready…

Get Weapons to Warfighters Faster, Lawmakers Tell DOD Acquisition Czar

March 24, 2023

Challenged by House lawmakers over the slow pace of weapons development, the Defense Department's top weapons buyer acknowledged the Pentagon's faults, as well as Congress' past failures to deliver budgets on time.

After Long Wait, Guam’s Missile and Air Defense Is About to Get A Whole Lot Better

March 24, 2023

As Pentagon shifts its focus to the Pacific, the Department of Defense will undertake sweeping efforts to improve the air and missile defenses on Guam, a critical U.S. military hub in the western Pacific. Overall the DOD plans to invest $1.5 billion in fiscal 2024 as part of a long-awaited…

US Air Strikes Hit Back at Iran’s Proxy Forces in Syria After Deadly Drone Attack

March 24, 2023

The U.S. Air Force stuck two Iranian-backed militia sites in Syria early on the morning of March 24 local time, responding to a drone attack that killed a U.S. contractor in northeastern Syria the previous day, the Pentagon said. The militia attacks are the latest in an escalating series of…

DAF Outlines a New ‘Battle Network’ as Its Contribution to JADC2

March 23, 2023

The Department of the Air Force has identified 50 programs that will make up the core of its contribution to the Pentagon’s joint all-domain command and control effort, branding them part of the “DAF Battle Network,” according to newly-released budget documents. The DAF Battle Network programs span multiple offices and agencies…

NORAD Boss Asks Congress for Better Domain Awareness, Faster

March 23, 2023

NORAD boss Gen. Glen VanHerck stressed the need for over-the-horizon radars and other capabilities to bring homeland defense in line with threats from Russia and China.

Kendall Says Budget is Adequate to Counter China; HASC Vice Chair Says It’s ‘Not Enough’

March 23, 2023

While Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said he's “comfortable” with the amount of spending in the Air Force’s fiscal 2024 budget, Rep. Rob Wittman (R-V.) said it’s not big enough, arguing for funding that at least matches the rate of inflation.

A-10s Headed to CENTCOM to Bolster Air Force Presence

March 23, 2023

As the Air Force’s broader focus shifts to the Pacific and Europe, the U.S. military will rely on aging close air support aircraft to meet the needs of its forces in the Middle East. A-10 Thunderbolt IIs will deploy to the region in April, a U.S. official told Air &…

The US Thinks China Is a ‘Near-Peer’ Threat. Does China Agree?

March 22, 2023

While U.S. military leaders worry about China as a near-peer threat, Chinese leader Xi Jinping has doubts has serious doubts about the PLA’s political reliability, leadership, and ability to mobilize, fight, and win wars, according to a new report.

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