Air Force signs off on production of long-range JDAM
The first kits of the JDAM LR will go to the US Navy, according to manufacturer Boeing.
Command overseeing Air Force operations in Middle East gets new boss amid Iran war
In what was a scheduled change-of-command, Lt. Gen. Daniel Lasica will now lead US Air Forces Central at a consequential time for American forces in the Middle East.
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Island surge: the Army’s Next Generation Command and Control in action
Lightning Surge exercises are turning soldier feedback on NGC2 into operational software changes in days, not years.
Colombia buys 2 KC-390s from Embraer in $336 million deal
The Colombian Aerospace Force said the first aircraft is expected for delivery in 2029, and that a second will follow in 2030.
Key B-52 upgrades face cost, schedule risks: GAO
A new audit from the Government Accountability Office found concerns with the Air Force’s modernization of the B-52 Stratofortress, which is planned to fly through the middle of the century.
Air Force plans downselect for second CCA batch next year
A separate competition to replace the MQ-9A Reaper is expected to kick off a concept refinement stage early in the next fiscal year, according to an Air Force official.
Air Force mulls ‘maybe’ pulling B-52s from retirement
A program to upgrade the radar for the Eisenhower-era bomber suffered a tragic setback after a fatal crash in California.
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Acquisition reform at the speed of war
As part of the DoW’s acquisition transformation, streamlined processes must be extended to all companies in the defense industrial base.
Air Force eyes next-gen engine ‘integration’ by 2030
An engine with so-called adaptive turbofan technologies “could” go on the forthcoming F-47 stealth fighter, John Sneden, the chief of the Air Force’s propulsion directorate said, though he emphasized no final decisions have been made.
Laser air defenses will be operational before decade’s end, Lockheed exec says
In a nod to a common refrain that laser systems are always just five years away, Lockheed Martin’s Stephanie Hill said, “Not anymore.”
BETA teams with GE, Sikorsky for militarized unmanned aircraft
BETA’s MV250 will use a hybrid-electric propulsion system developed in partnership with GE Aerospace and an autonomy stack supplied by Sikorsky for a wide range of military missions, according to company executives.
Lockheed, RTX in ‘early’ talks for Ukraine Patriot production, execs say
“Working with the United States government, we are working [...] to determine what is feasible and what is best for Ukraine,” said Raytheon’s Tom Laliberty.
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Project Talon Portfolio puts mission autonomy at the center of future CCA operations
Truly autonomous aircraft can make decisions without continuous human input.
EXCLUSIVE: Air Force halts F-16 ejection seat competition
The 90-day suspension tees up a final decision on whether to compete a deal for new ejection seats on the F-16, despite a previous move by the Air Force to reopen the Next Generation Ejection Seat program.
Qatari Air Force One will be taken offline for ‘maxed out’ upgrades: Trump
The forthcoming modifications follow concerns that the 747 jumbo jet rapidly modified by defense contractor L3Harris lacked security measures typical for transporting the US president.
USAF Chief Wilsbach on hardened shelters, T-7 flight and F-35 delays
In a one-on-one with Breaking Defense, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach laid out his big concerns for the service.
As GOP debates defense spending, Air Force chief pushes for supplemental, $1.5T budget
“There's a wide array of things that we have stopped spending money on so that we could pay for the bills that are associated with Epic Fury,” Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach told Breaking Defense. “That's why you need a supplemental for this year.”