Air Force eyes massive boost for F-15EX fleet
The service’s fiscal 2027 budget shows boosts for other aircraft like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, while slowing retirements of platforms like the A-10 Warthog.
Air Force secretary eyes multi-year deals for satellites, aircraft
Pentagon officials are seeking lawmakers’ authorization to buy weapon systems through multi-year deals “across the board, not only with munitions, but actually with the production of aircraft, with the production of spacecraft,” said Air Force Secretary Troy Meink.
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Voyager is fortifying the U.S. Defense supply chain
Answering the Pentagon’s call to bolster defense industrial base.
9 firms win orbital AMTI deals, Space Force says
The Space Force did not disclose when the contracts were awarded or their individual dollar values.
Air Force kicks off AMTI program with competition for first ‘increment’
Awards will be issued “fairly shortly” for the first operational satellites that can track aircraft and from space, according to Air Force Secretary Troy Meink.
Space Force plans to establish HQ staff group as surrogate Futures Command
CSO Gen. Chance Saltzman has signed a memo, obtained by Breaking Defense, initiating the creation of SF/S9 to coordinate future force planning. However, the change has yet to be approved by Air Force Secretary Troy Meink.
‘Ringleader’: Department of Air Force to start all-encompassing sensor fusion experiments
Separately, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said the Air Force will continue work on two rapid prototypes for the E-7 Wedgetail, though he did not appear to fully commit to the program.
Satellites at the center: Inside the Pentagon’s next-gen space architecture
From emerging data networks to missile tracking and cyber resilience, Breaking Defense’s latest eBook brings together essential reporting on the evolving role of satellites in national security.
Air Force ramps up B-21 Raider production capacity, aims for 2027 delivery
A $4.5 billion spending boost for the B-21 program outlined by lawmakers as part of the 2025 reconciliation package will help fund the accelerated production.
Qatari 747 to fly as Trump’s Air Force One this summer
The controversial aircraft donated by the Qatari government is set to transport the Commander-in-Chief after less than a year of modification work, according to the Air Force.
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.
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.
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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.
Air Force needs hundreds more fighters, service says
A congressionally mandated review of the Air Force’s fighter force obtained by Breaking Defense finds that as many as 1,558 combat-ready jets are needed to fulfill global obligations, requiring greater procurement of aircraft like the F-15EX and F-35.
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.
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.