Retired Lt. Gen. David Deptula, Dean of the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, unpacks the keynotes and headline sessions from AFA’s 2026 Warfare Symposium to break down why Department of the Air Force leaders are calling this year the “Year of Readiness”—and why the Air Force faces a force structure, age, and funding crisis.
‘Angry Kitten’ EW Pod Tested on Search-and-Rescue HC-130
April 17, 2026
The Air Force recently tested its “Angry Kitten” electronic warfare pod on an HC-130J during Exercise Bamboo Shield, showing the pod can turn the rescue platform into a command-and-control node and protect it from enemy radars.The tests follow what could be the pod’s first use in combat after it was…