Selfridge is getting new fighter jets. Will the base be ready?
A lawmaker has asked the Air Force about its plans to fund necessary upgrades to the Michigan base, and urged the service to act "swiftly."
A lawmaker has asked the Air Force about its plans to fund necessary upgrades to the Michigan base, and urged the service to act "swiftly."
Republicans successfully batted down a number of Democratic amendments during the 14-hour markup session.
Explore how networked warfare, AI, and 3D-printed drones are reshaping US Indo-Pacific strategy.
The new timeline is a setback for the beleaguered tanker, whose deliveries have been halted since February.
While the Air Force will originally focus on a competition to place new ejection seats in the service's F-16 fleet, “decisions following the competition could extend to other platforms, including the F-22 and B-1," the Air Force said.
“We're very, very fixated on being competitive with the pacing challenge [of China],” said Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. “I think the budget that we've submitted moves us forward — not quite as fast as we would like to, but it moves us forward in the right direction while maintaining current capabilities that are essential to the nation.”
The Air Force has big plans for 2024, but lawmakers could throw a wrench into them.
“We have 25 fighter squadrons in the Guard right now. And when I look at the global demand, my personal view is I think we need to keep all 25 of those. I think our nation needs that capability,” said National Guard chief Gen. Daniel Hokanson.
The subcommittee's mark would enable the Air Force to continue retirements of the A-10, would impose some limits on development of next-gen fighters and drones and would further ask the Army for reports on major programs.
Rejected by Congress in fiscal 2023, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said the service’s second go at retiring older F-22s stands a much better chance of surviving the upcoming round of budget negotiations.
During a military exercise in Wyoming, an MQ-9 Reaper made history by conducting its first highway landing alongside what the Air Force says is the greatest number of aircraft to pull off the tactic.
The Air Force has been asking Congress for permission to mothball the aircraft for years, which lawmakers approved in fiscal 2023. The FY24 budget is likely to ask for more retirements.
For the first time ever, Congress gave the green light for the Air Force to divest part of its A-10 Warthog fleet, but it's still yet to be seen whether this is a one-time event.
"There's US[-made], there's Gripen out of Sweden, there's the Eurofighter, there's the Rafale [from France],” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. CQ Brown. Even the venerable A-10 hasn't been ruled out.
F-35 squads at Hill AFB, Utah, Eielson AFB, Alaska, Luke AFB, Ariz., and Eglin AFB, Fla. could all face risks due to a maintainer shortage at Tyndall.