Japan’s $60B defense budget request seeks funding for coastal defense network, more F-35s
The Japanese budget request for the coming fiscal year also includes several systems from the US, including KC-46 tankers.
Air Force again changes course on tankers, plans new ‘production extension’ program
The Air Force plans to use the Boeing KC-46 Pegasus’s Capability Production Document “as the most affordable requirements basis” for the new program, potentially giving the embattled aerospace manufacturer a leg up in a competition.
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Beacon brings industry into a shared ecosystem to accelerate flight autonomy
Six companies have already signed up for a new flight-test program to mature their autonomy software.
KC-46 deliveries set to resume next week
The US Air Force halted acceptance of the troubled tanker in February, following cracks discovered on the aircraft’s “outboard fixed fixed-trailing-edge support structure.”
KC-46 refueling vision system fix delayed to 2027
The new timeline is a setback for the beleaguered tanker, whose deliveries have been halted since February.
Air Force’s outgoing acquisition chief on NGAS, CCA and his biggest regrets
Speaking to Breaking Defense, Andrew Hunter said that the CCA loyal wingman program is proof the Air Force can move forward in new directions.
Air Force identifies new category 1 deficiency on KC-46 refueler
Initial flight tests showed that a mitigation technique "look[s] very promising" as an interim solution, an Air Force official said, suggesting the issue could be downgraded relatively soon.
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Navigation warfare is about the battle to assure positioning, navigation, and timing
The U.S. Army’s MAPS Gen II program of record for assured PNT provides an authoritative and reliable source of truth for combat vehicles in a highly contested battlespace.
First flight of new Air Force One jet slips to 2026, Air Force says
Boeing is currently revising the schedule for the presidential jetliner once again, which is expected to be updated later this summer, according to an Air Force spokesperson.
Boeing KC-46A refueler had two-month pause in deliveries, expected to resume soon
The newest issue with the long-troubled tanker involves a part on the aircraft’s refueling boom.
Air Force RFI targets engine options for NGAS tankers
Responses will help shape analysis for the tanker program, known as the Next Generation Air refueling System.
Boeing’s KC-46A refueler, T-7A trainer face more delays
Air Force acquisition chief Andrew Hunter noted potential troubles ahead for the KC-46A and said T-7A production could start "a little later" than previously anticipated, but he remained confident about the way forward for the two aircraft.
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Meeting modern airpower needs with faster R&D cycles for propulsion
As aircraft shrink, threats expand, and technology accelerates, aircraft engines must iterate along with the threats.
Air Force wants to retire 250 aircraft as part of $188B FY25 budget request
“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.”
F-22s ‘highest priority’ for near-term fight, Air Force acquisition boss says
Despite disagreements with Boeing on pricing for the E-7A Wedgetail, Air Force acquisition chief Andrew Hunter said officials still see the radar plane "as a capability that makes sense and that we need to field in the near term.”
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Fact-checking the KC-46A Pegasus
How the KC-46A has become a “game changer” for U.S. and allied warfighters.
Despite huge industry losses, Air Force ‘not getting rid of fixed-price contracts’: Hunter
But a different acquisition strategy can help lower risks when fixed-price approaches are involved, the acquisition czar said.