News
Space Force mulling nuclear protection for missile-tracking satellites
The Space Force has launched a study to consider what capabilities to host on future satellites that detect and track advanced, high-speed weapons.
Jon Stewart pushes VA to cover troops sickened by uranium after 9/11. Again, they are told to wait
Comedian Jon Stewart and troops sickened by uranium ended a meeting Friday at the Department of Veterans Affairs angry that once again they have been told they will have to wait to see whether the VA will connect their illnesses to the toxic base where they were deployed shortly after 9/11.
B-52 traverses Middle East as US troops in Iraq and Syria are attacked
A U.S. Air Force B-52 bomber flew from Europe across the Middle East on July 25, making a 32-hour flight as U.S. troops came under attack in Iraq and Syria on July 25 and July 26, U.S. officials told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
F-16 fighter jets arrive in Ukraine but may not tip advantage against Russia
Long-awaited F-16 fighter jets are set to be flying in Ukraine within weeks, but Ukrainian and Western officials now caution that the aircraft, once championed by Kyiv as a game changer, are unlikely to make an immediate impact on the battlefield, where Russia is slowly advancing.
Army helicopters make unscheduled riverbank landing while training in Japan
At least two U.S. Army helicopters made a precautionary landing on a riverbank southeast of Osaka over the weekend, according to a spokesman for Japan’s Kinkichuo Defense Bureau.
Air Force
Rescue squadron from Aviano added to Alps search for missing US airman
U.S. Air Force search and rescue crews and a group of Aviano Air Base volunteers have joined the effort to find an American airman missing since Tuesday.
Photos: The sights from the 2024 Farnborough Airshow
A collection of the most interesting things to see at the 2024 Farnborough Airshow.
JBSA-Randolph bids farewell to T-1 Jayhawk and prepares for T-7
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at Joint Base San Antonio-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the “Boneyard” at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, earlier this month.
Very traumatic: One minor killed, 3 injured after wall collapses at Air Force base pool
One minor was killed and three others were injured at Robins Air Force Base in Georgia when a wall at the men’s locker room of the on-base pool collapsed on them earlier this week.
Secretary of Air Force stands up new integrated capabilities office
The Department of the Air Force officially established the new Integrated Capabilities Office last week, completing one of the first of two dozen moves announced in February to “re-optimize” the Air and Space Forces for Great Power Competition with China.
Aviano airman who vanished found alive and well after 4-day search
The American airman who went missing four days ago from Aviano Air Base was found alive and unhurt Saturday, ending an intensive search in the Alps.
Space Force
Space Force offers up to $180,000 for select guardians to reenlist
The Space Force is offering up to $180,000 for Guardians in certain career fields to reenlist, an $80,000 increase over previous years. The move is part of a wider Department of the Air Force effort to make reenlisting easier and offer more incentives to do so.
Defense
NATO awards Airbus, Leonardo and Lockheed next generation rotorcraft concept contracts
NATO has handed out three Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) contracts to Airbus, Leonardo and Lockheed Martin, opening the way for the manufacturers to study “potential integrated platform concepts,” as the alliance bids to deliver a new class of medium lift military helicopters between 2035 and 2040.
South Korea’s Hanwha shows off prototype aircraft engine, says could enter service in 9 years
South Korean defense firm Hanwha unveiled this week a prototype engine design it says will be ready to power the KF-21 fighter and unmanned systems within the decade.
F-35 performance-based logistics contract in limbo for now: Lockheed official
Negotiations on a performance-based logistics contract for the F-35 sustainment enterprise appear stalled indefinitely after the US government backed away from negotiations late last year.
Veterans
VA’s electronic health records system may require lots of new staff. The cost worries lawmakers.
The introduction of the Oracle Cerner electronic health records system at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in North Chicago, Illinois, has lawmakers questioning the future of the program at the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Veterans push for psychedelic therapy, but MDMA application struggles
It was a landmark moment for the psychedelic movement: The Department of Veteran Affairs’ top doctor stood on stage, praising advocates who have spent decades promoting the healing potential of mind-altering drugs.