EXCLUSIVE: Sentinel ICBM to clear key milestone this year, go operational ‘early 2030s’
“We certainly have not lowered the bar, and we certainly have not taken on any risk by doing this,” Air Force Gen. Dale White told Breaking Defense.
How the Air Force is revamping its acquisition shop with new ‘portfolios’
The fresh approach is meant to streamline weapons procurement and cut through bureaucracy, though details like exactly what authorities new Portfolio Acquisition Executives will have are being worked out.
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Answering the demand signal to move faster, field sooner, iterate continuously
As threats rapidly evolve, digital engineering, manufacturing capacity and robust supply chains are critical to meeting challenges.
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 expects first delivery of delayed Boeing Air Force One jets in ‘mid-2028’
The new date marks some progress for the beleaguered Air Force One program, whose challenges have cost Boeing billions of dollars.
Pentagon acquisition chief pledges new ‘program czars’ will cut red tape, not add to it
Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment Michael Duffey outlined key steps taken since an early November mandate to move out on acquisition reform.
Forge ahead with the Sentinel ICBM, but consider making it mobile
Nuclear experts from three different think tanks argue that it's time to take the idea of mobile launchers for America's ICBMs seriously.
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America must adopt a Sixth Domain of warfare doctrine
The Sixth Domain is not defined by geography. It’s a new kind of conflict in which autonomy and networked systems allow thousand-dollar consumer electronics to destroy multi-million-dollar conventional weapons systems.
About that ‘tension’ with Qatar, and refueling on orbit: AFA day 3 [Video]
On day three of AFA, a senior Air Force official acknowledged the US didn't see Israel's strike in Qatar coming.
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Modernizing the nuclear triad with a new cornerstone ICBM
The Air Force’s Sentinel missile’s capabilities are being proven digitally to accelerate design and reduce costs.
An ICBM update and Space Force in focus: AFA day 2 [Video]
Things that go into orbit led the news at day two of the AFA conference.
Air Force general pledges to ‘get Sentinel done,’ expects Milestone B in 2027
Air Force Program Executive Officer for ICBMs Brig. Gen. William Rogers said he has “every intention” of fully fielding the forthcoming Sentinel missile ahead of 2050.
Modernizing defense enterprise IT without disrupting the mission
Government can’t stop to update systems, so modernization has to happen without interruptions.
Air Force can extend Minuteman ICBMs to 2050, but with risks: GAO
“Today's GAO report confirms that we desperately need an independent review to hold Pentagon officials accountable for wasting and mismanaging billions of taxpayer dollars,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren told Breaking Defense.
The Break Out: A glimpse into Navy’s CCA plans, and a Sentinel milestone [VIDEO]
The team talks about a couple recent scoops on the Navy's secretive drone wingman program and the transition to Sentinel ICBMs.
Air Force takes first Minuteman III silo offline, in milestone towards Sentinel
The service said that requirements to keep 400 nuclear missiles on alert will not be impacted by the shuttering of a silo located at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.
Sentinel ICBM first flight date now in flux, Air Force says
The troubled ICBM program was supposed to fly for the first time in 2026, but now the Air Force says that the date is unknown.