News
In Trump’s Pentagon, a growing skepticism about US military power
To understand how the second Trump administration may use the U.S. military, the best clues aren’t written in the pages of Foreign Affairs or sussed out during panel discussions at Washington think tanks.
VA blamed for creating barriers to veterans seeking private health care
A lack of consistent policies and protocols by the Department of Veterans Affairs for administering private-sector health care for veterans is leading to medical records not being transferred, denials for appointments and a lack of understanding about reimbursements for clinicians who are not part of the VA system.
White House funding freeze stokes uncertainty for military families as raft of programs under review
The White House’s freeze on federal grants and loans that led to chaos across federal agencies after it was announced late Monday will not affect military families and veterans receiving direct public assistance such as food stamps and Women, Infants and Children, or WIC, vouchers, Trump administration officials pledged Tuesday.
Troops booted from military for refusing COVID-19 vaccine can return with back pay and benefits
More than 8,000 service members who were booted from the military or who left on their own over the COVID-19 vaccine could get full back pay and benefits if they seek to be reinstated in the military, according to an executive order signed Monday night by President Donald Trump.
Air Force
What Air Force maintainers think of the new force design
When the Air Force revealed a new force design for its aircraft maintenance career fields Jan. 27, it kicked off a wave of discussion on social media forums about what it might mean for one of the branch’s largest career fields. Air & Space Forces Magazine checked in with former and current maintainers for their thoughts on the sweeping change, which would start to take effect in 2027.
Pilot safe after F-35 military jet suffers ‘significant damage’ in accident at Alaska base
A U.S. Air Force pilot was reported to be safe after a single-seat F-35 fighter jet crashed Tuesday during a training exercise at a base in Alaska.
Now CCAs can do things ‘we didn’t think were possible’
The Air Force now believes a single manned fighter can control a larger number of drones than previously thought, and can do so using less-sophisticated autonomous technology, according to USAF’s director of force design.
Air Force triples funding for prototype sixth-gen fighter engine
The Air Force on Monday greatly expanded funding for the prototype engine for the service’s planned sixth-generation fighter.
Pentagon hands out $7 billion for NGAP; RTX sees ‘tailwind’ for military propulsion
GE Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney received matching $3.5 billion contracts to prototype their versions of the Next-Generation Adaptive Propulsion engine this week, and the CEO of Pratt’s parent company, RTX, said things are looking up for the military engine business, even if the platform that could use NGAP is in some doubt.
Air Force shaving waivers will soon expire under new policy
Starting on March 1, medical shaving waivers that were once good for five years will now expire 90 days after an airmen or guardians’ annual physical.
Air Force chief of staff nixes career field ID patches, 57 shades of nail polish
Career field identifier patches and 57 colors of nail polish are out, gig lines and short hair are in, according to an Air Force order that reverses dress and appearance regulations loosened just one year ago.
Two Air Force leaders fired this month in unrelated incidents
A colonel and a brigadier general were each fired from high-profile jobs within two weeks of each other following investigations, according to the Air Force.
Space Force
Space Force still mapping out strategy for in-orbit logistics and satellite services
The U.S. Space Force is taking a measured approach to developing its in-orbit logistics capabilities, as military leaders continue to evaluate commercial technologies and interagency responsibilities for satellite servicing operations, senior officials said Jan. 28 at the Space Mobility Conference.
Defense
BAE awarded $70 million Navy contract to overhaul Mk 45 guns
The U.S. Navy expanded a contract with BAE Systems, awarding the company more money to upgrade and overhaul the service’s Mk 45 naval gun systems in an effort to improve their long-range strike and air defense capabilities, the company announced Monday.
Report finds large gap in CMMC readiness among defense industrial base
Despite having years to get ready, a majority of defense contractors still feel unprepared to implement necessary protocols required by the Pentagon’s Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification 2.0 (CMMC 2.0) initiative, according to a new report.
Full F-35 upgrade package might not happen this year, Lockheed says
The Pentagon’s fleet of F-35 fighter jets may not receive the full, combat-ready version of the TR-3 upgrade this year, Lockheed Martin executives acknowledged today.
Veterans
Democrats urge Trump to halt freezes on VA hires and federal funds for veterans community services
Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., and other Democrats harshly criticized President Donald Trump’s plan to invoke a federal freeze on filling vacancies and adding jobs for non-clinical positions at the Department of Veterans Affairs.