Business

Chinese Military Officers Crash US Air Force Conference in Florida

The three officers, armed with cameras, took a stroll around an exhibit hall of new weapons and technology.

Science & Tech

Air Force Wants to Test a Laser on an Attack Plane Within A Year

But the U.S. Special Operations Command still needs money for the test and policymakers need to figure out the rules of engagement.

Business

Sikorsky Pitches Area 51 Security Helicopters to Guard ICBMs

Company executives say it’s the most efficient way for the Air Force to replace its half-century-old Hueys.

Ideas

Sell India F-16s — and Build Them Abroad

It’s the right move for the United States, even if it makes the Trump administration uncomfortable.

Science & Tech

US Air Force to Send F-35 to Fight ISIS … In a Few Years

The plane’s rotation schedule has the JSF making deployments to Europe and the Pacific before heading to the Middle East, a top Air Force general says.

Business

Air Force Buys Mysterious Israeli Weapon to Kill ISIS Drones

What is this secret weapon? Pentagon officials aren’t saying, but here are some clues.

Ideas

US Air Force 'Urgently' Needs Funds By April

Pass a bill, top leaders tell Congress, warning another delay would 'reverse' badly needed expansions, upgrades, and readiness needed to fight the ISIS War.

Business

Charted: Here’s How the Cost of the F-35 is Changing

The per-plane cost for the Navy and Marine Corps variants both rose before falling.

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.

Policy

Trump’s Air Force Nominee Could Bring Strong Voice to Capitol Hill

Who is Heather Wilson?

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.