Next-gen air dominance and surprise new Air Force leadership: 2025 review
A look at some of the top stories that defined the air warfare beat this year.
Air Force (mostly) ditches Biden-era ‘reoptimization’
New leadership under the Trump administration has opted to kill key organizational changes sought by former Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, leaving just a handful of initiatives intact.
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Turning R&D into reality to meet the challenges of the modern battlefield
Knowing when to build on commercial systems and when to develop something new can be the difference between parity and information dominance.
Senate confirms Wilsbach as Air Force Chief
The former head of Air Combat Command will now lead the Air Force as its next top uniformed officer, following the surprise retirement of Gen. David Allvin.
Air Force reverses course on Integrated Capabilities Command
The decision creates a new Chief Modernization Officer, but deals a blow to a key initiative started under the Biden administration to change how the service sets requirements for buying weapon systems.
Shutdown will delay Air Force drone wingman’s first flight, Anduril executive says
“I can’t fund the government,” said Anduril Founder Palmer Luckey.
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.
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GPS: Still the gold standard in global navigation
The GPS network continues to prove its unmatched reliability, and it’s only getting stronger.
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.
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.
Wilsbach expected to become next Air Force chief of staff: Sources
Former Air Combat Command head Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach had emerged as the frontrunner for the Air Force’s top uniformed job shortly after Gen. Dave Allvin announced his retirement in August.
EXCLUSIVE: Wilsbach, former ACC commander, in running to be next service chief, sources say
Three sources familiar with the discussions told Breaking Defense that Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach is a leading candidate to succeed Gen. David Allvin as the next Air Force chief of staff.
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Keeping sensitive information safe in a new AI era
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NGAD EXCLUSIVE: Air Force secretary cracks door for unmanned next-gen fighter
In an interview with Breaking Defense, Frank Kendall suggested the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter decision is farther off than estimated, as the service rethinks the threat landscape.
ACC chief expects NGAD down select this year, ‘hopeful’ F-35 deliveries will resume this month
Breaking with service leadership, Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach said he opposes divesting certain F-22 Raptors, whose retirements have been repeatedly blocked by Congress.
‘Not uncommon’ for American jets to be intercepted by China 10 times a day, PACAF chief says
Gen. Mark Kelly, who heads the Air Force's Air Combat Command, said that the US's shrinking and aging aircraft fleet has emboldened Russian and Chinese pilots to seek "batting practice."
Air Force bullish on drone future: ‘We’re gonna need them around just about everywhere’
“What I would say is, be on the lookout [because] there's going to be a CCA near you… because we're gonna need them around just about everywhere,” Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach said.