Michael Marrow

Michael Marrow covers air warfare for Breaking Defense. He holds a BA in history from the University of Virginia and started out as a freelance reporter covering local news in Fairfax County, Virginia and policing in Charlottesville, Virginia. Michael previously reported on the Air Force and Space Force for Inside Defense, where he tracked major acquisitions, policy changes and modernization efforts.

Posts by Michael Marrow

Air Warfare, Land Warfare

Boeing drawing up new tiltrotor helo wingman

The planemaker is developing a “conceptual design” of a potential Group 4 or 5 size tiltrotor drone that could team with aircraft like the AH-64 Apache or CH-47 Chinook, according to a company engineer.

Air Warfare

With daily drone incursions over bases, NORTHCOM takes aim through Falcon Peak

“We’re between [about] one and two incursions per day” at DoD installations, said NORTHCOM Commander Gen. Gregory Guillot. “I don't know if the problem's worse, or we have more systems out there that can detect them.”

Air Warfare

Wilsbach declines to commit to congressional ‘intent’ for reconciliation money

Air Force Chief of Staff nominee Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach also left the fate of the Air Force's wide-ranging "reoptimization" overhaul in the air.

Air Warfare

How a ‘priority’ on next-gen tankers paved the way for more Boeing KC-46s

A recent Air Force document provides the clearest insight yet into the service’s evolving tanker strategy, as well as what might be needed to continue the production run of Boeing’s KC-46 Pegasus air refueler.

Air Warfare

Air Force Global Strike chief Bussiere to retire

Lt. Gen. Stephen Davis is slated to succeed Gen. Thomas Bussiere as the head of Air Force Global Strike Command in a ceremony scheduled for Oct. 17.

Air Warfare

With munitions and CCA in mind, small engines make a big show at AFA

“This is certainly a growth market. It’s gonna take awhile to get there, but you could easily see hundreds of air vehicles built per year in this market sometime in the early 2030s,” Richard Aboulafia, managing director at AeroDynamic Advisory, told Breaking Defense.

Modernizing defense enterprise IT without disrupting the mission

Government can’t stop to update systems, so modernization has to happen without interruptions.

Air Warfare

Trump taps Wilsbach as next Air Force chief

Breaking Defense previously reported that former Air Combat Command chief Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach was a frontrunner to replace outgoing Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin.

Air Warfare

Lockheed, Pentagon finalize deal for 296 F-35s

The $24.3 billion deal covers 148 aircraft each in production lots 18 and 19, closing out negotiations that have stretched since 2023.

Air Warfare

Why Anduril, RTX are pushing new ground-launched munition variants

“Over the past several months, it's been very clear that the priority for” Pentagon and congressional leadership “is fixing our munitions gap,” said Anduril’s Diem Salmon.

Air Warfare

State clears Germany for $1.2 billion worth of AMRAAMs

The sale would cover up to 400 copies of the Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile produced by defense giant RTX, which the Defense Security Cooperation Agency says will “provid[e] increased air-to-air capability for the German F-35 program” and other NATO requirements.