Ray Asks Roper To Explore ‘Bomb Truck’ For Cheap Standoff Capability
"There is no significant game plan here," Ray said about the idea of a 'bomb truck.' "I just think, why not? You can't win if you don't play."
More B-21s Likely; B-1s To Carry Up To 8 Hypersonic Weapons
The U.S. has 156 bombers today. But the Air Force is committed to boasting 386 squadrons, up 75 from its total today. "Certainly," Gen. Timothy Ray said, "that means good growth for the bombers."
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Next-generation KC-390 Millennium expands multimission options for air forces
The jet-powered transport’s speed, survivability and multi-mission agility position it as a viable option to the C-130 for the US and NATO allies.
Will Four-Star Strapped Navy Pass on STRATCOM Command?
The Navy has eight four-stars in its ranks -- a number that will stay steady when presumptive CNO Gilday is confirmed and gets his fourth star, and current CNO John Richardson steps down. The Air Force, by contrast has 13 four-star generals.
Gen. Ray: Attracting Capable Techies Key To NC3 Improvements
Finding capable technologists is the key requirement as DoD upgrades NC3, says Gen. Timothy Ray
What Will New Bomber Squadrons Mean For Air Force? 75 More B-21s?
So reporters kept pressing Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Chief of Staff David Goldfein for answers to the reasonable question: How will the Air Force afford 74 more squadrons with all the people, planes, satellites, and infrastructure needed to make them useful?
No $ For New B-52 Engines Til 2020; Nuke Modernization Moves Ahead: Gen. Rand
CORRECTED: Inserted Photo Of Minuteman III; Removed Photo Of Titan WASHINGTON: Gen. Robin Rand, the Air Force bomber and missile boss, really wants new jet engines for his aging B-52s. The service has invited interested companies to a two-day information session in December and Boeing and Rolls-Royce are already publicly campaigning for the contract. But, […]
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Constantly evolving aerial threats demand training that adapts accordingly
With potential adversaries no longer predictable, training must move beyond just live exercises and flight simulators.
Hyten Outlines STRATCOM Overhaul; Nukes Sooner For F-35?
OMAHA: Strategic Command chief Gen. John Hyten today confirmed, more than two months after news first broke of a shift, that he’s ordered a series of sweeping changes at STRATCOM. Basically, he got rid of the Joint Functional Component Commands for space, global strike, cyber, integrated missile defense, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and whittled them […]
Sikorsky Unveils HH-60U For Air Force Nuke Response
CORRECTED: Passenger Capacity WASHINGTON: The day before the Air Force Association’s annual winter conference begins, the newest wrinkle in the years-long saga of deciding what aircraft the Air Force would buy to secure America’s nuclear missile fields was announced. Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky will offer — surprise! — an updated version of the Black Hawk helicopter, the HH-60U. […]
How Trump Should Handle Russian Nuclear Talks
If the Trump administration wants to negotiate an arms control treaty with Russia, it must meet several preconditions. The Times of London reports that then President-elect Donald Trump signaled he would consider a nuclear arms reduction treaty with the Russians. He was quoted as saying, “For one thing, I think nuclear weapons should be way down and […]
B-21 Bomber Estimate By CAPE: $511M A Copy
CORRECTED: Attribution of Air Force Buying New Advanced Fighter NATIONAL HARBOR: The Air Force’s new bomber, the B-21 Raider, should come in almost $40 million below the official $550 million a copy official estimate, says Randall Walden, director of the Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office. So, $511 million is the new $550 million. After his […]
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An autonomy blueprint is essential to keep legacy platforms relevant in modern warfare
It’s about improving existing platforms with autonomy, and applying AI, edge computing, quantum encryption, and sensor fusion.
SecAf James Defends GBSD, LRSO
WASHINGTON: One thing grew clear as Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James spoke this morning: the service has huge bills now and even bigger ones coming down the track, especially when you include nuclear modernization. If she could, Lee told the audience at the New America think tank, she would “rewrite history” so that the F-35A, which […]
How Many B-21s? Answer Pending, Says AF Global Strike
CAPITOL HILL: Gen. Robin Rand, head of Air Force Global Strike Command, made it pretty clear he’d like more than the 100 B-21 bombers to which the service is currently committed. He would probably like close to half again that many. Rand told a Mitchell Institute breakfast that the US currently has 156 bombers “in our […]
Air Force Abandons Sole Source Nuke Helos Deal
With legislators demanding open competition for new helicopters to carry security teams to far-flung missile silos in an emergency, the Air Force has bowed to congressional pressure. Sikorsky had been hopeful of a $1.4 billion sole-source deal to replace the aging UH-1N helicopters, whose poor performance in counterterrorism drills had the Air Force saying it needed to bypass […]
McCain Pledges To Stop LRSB; Which Bomber Will Be Retired?
UDATED: Adds Air Force React AFA WINTER: Sen. John McCain pledged to stop the Long Range Strike Bomber program in its tracks today unless the Pentagon uses a different type of contract. My colleagues at Defense News quoted McCain this way: “My biggest concern is the cost-plus provision in the contract. I will not stand […]