Ideas
Welcome to America’s ‘Nuclear Sponge’
If ICBMs are meant to draw enemy missiles toward American soil, it’s time to rethink our nuclear strategy.
Business
Northrop Scratch-Built a Jet to Bid on an Air Force Contract. Now It’s Dropping Out.
The decision leaves three, or maybe four, potential bidders on the 350-plane T-X program.
Ideas
Making America’s ICBMs Great Again
SecDef Mattis had some questions about the value of the land-based part of the triad. Here are some answers.
Business
The Price of an F-35 Was Already Falling. Can Trump Drive it Lower?
Defense One analyzed the changing cost of the JSF since the first production orders were placed in 2007. Here’s what we found.
Science & Tech
Pentagon Tester: F-35 Program Rushing Tests, Delays Still Likely
The JSF's latest report card finds 276 deficiencies in combat performance.
Business
US Air Force Needs the F-35 and A-10: Outgoing Secretary
As the Obama administration’s time grows short, Deborah James puts in a word for two polarizing aircraft.
Ideas
How Many Airstrikes Did US Forces Execute in 2016?
Estimates from government releases show Iraqi and Syrian targets got hit the hardest.
Business
A New Military Jet Flies Just One Year After It Was Designed
The new Boeing and Saab plane took to the sky for the first time on Tuesday, showing defense firms can build complex weapons quickly.
Threats
America’s War-by-Airstrike in Three Charts
The U.S.-led air war against the Islamic State in Mosul, Raqqa, and the region, visualized.
Ideas
Fighter Pilots Aren’t Flying Enough to Hone the Skills of Full-Spectrum War
The Air Force is losing training time, experienced teachers, and its combat edge.
Science & Tech
Decision Time: Half of US F-15s Need Overhauls — Or Retirement
In a backseat ride over New Hampshire, the Eagle shows why it’s still lethal, yet increasingly expensive.
Ideas
War in the Information Age
The chief of the U.S. Air Force describes a speed-infused future of combined arms — across domains and entire partnerships.
Threats
As China Shows Off J-20 Stealth Fighter, A Bit of Context
It takes more than a flyby at an airshow to deploy fifth-generation fighter jets in combat.
Business
Lockheed’s Pitch: Buy Our Training Jet, Save Taxpayers $1 Billion
Company officials say they can build the jets faster, and that should give them a leg up in the T-X bid evaluation.
Science & Tech
Why the US Military Still Flies Cold-War Era Planes
The U-2 shows how old technologies die hard.
Business