News
How the Air Force averted a major flaw in its drone wingmen approach
Whatever the next chapter of U.S. air power will look like, there will be drones — and lots of them — accompanying manned fighters into battle.
Ukraine wants 12 Viper attack helicopters spurned by Slovakia
As Slovakia’s government wobbles over the previous Cabinet’s plan to buy 12 AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters from the United States, Ukrainian officials are intensifying their lobbying in Washington to secure the aircraft for their defense against Russia.
US clears F-35 sale to Romania, bolstering NATO’s eastern flank
The U.S. State Department on Friday announced it has approved the sale of 32 F-35A Joint Strike Fighters to Romania in a deal worth roughly $7.2 billion.
Boeing workers strike will hit Pentagon programs
Boeing’s defense programs are caught in the crossfire after the company workers rejected a new labor contract and went on strike in the Pacific Northwest.
Russian military aircraft detected off Alaskan coast for third time in past week, NORAD says
The North American Aerospace Defense command intercepted Russian military aircraft flying near Alaska three times over the last week in what appears to be an uptick in activity amid tensions between the US and Russia.
101st Airborne Division troops headed to Middle East, 3rd Infantry will go to Europe
Soldiers with the 101st Airborne Division are deploying to the Middle East and 3rd Infantry Division troops are headed to Europe, Army officials announced Friday.
Air Force
Massive Boeing machinist strike hits KC-46 tanker production
The massive strike by tens of thousands of Boeing machinists in Washington state will affect the company’s work on the KC-46 Pegasus refueling tanker, the company’s chief financial officer Brian West said Friday.
Air Force recruiting bounces back with broadened path to enlistment paying off
The Air Force is on track to meet or exceed its annual recruiting goal a year after experiencing a dismal 10% shortfall in new active-duty enlistments, according to the service’s recruiting leader.
At famous home for test pilots, the Air Force is testing a new approach to housing
Edwards Air Force base has been home to many ‘firsts’ in Air Force lore, from the first supersonic flight to the first space shuttle landing. This week the Air Force broke ground on another ‘first’ at Edwards, one which could address the chronic housing shortage at the remote base in the southern California desert where some troops have lived in RVs for years before finding full-time housing.
Air Force needs to fix big gaps in early stages of European attack response, analysts say
The U.S. Air Force in Europe is not up to the split-second coordination of air and missile defense with allies, leaving Europeans in mortal danger in the event of an attack, according to a new report commissioned by the service.
Airmen at risk of temporarily pay delay when reenlisting
Thousands of airmen are ensnared in a bureaucratic backlog that’s forcing staff to handle their reenlistments manually, in some cases delaying paychecks.
Storied Air Force unit shutters as service moves on from its popular A-10 attack jet
The Air Force is moving on from its steady, slow-flying attack jets that have been heralded for decades of service, especially among the ground forces saved by A-10 Thunderbolt IIs while fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Defense
Sneak peek: Anduril lifts veil on its combat drone software
Four drones take off one by one into clear skies, then join in formation, performing a brief airshow for a dozen visitors here to a lonely West Texas airfield followed by a combat air patrol demonstration. A simulated enemy approaches, the visitors are told, then one of the four drones veers off to make the intercept, “firing” a single simulated missile at the imaginary aggressor.
Veteran
VA awards $2.7 million to community organizations in Texas working to prevent veteran suicide
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday announced several steps in VA’s ongoing fight to prevent veteran suicide — including awarding $2.7 million in grants to community organizations implementing tailored suicide prevention programs and services for veterans and their families in Texas, and an additional $2.4 million to organizations that serve veterans in numerous states, including Texas.
