Defense Systems

Air Force orders $91.6M worth of EW jammers from Raytheon

Contract modification calls for 250 more MALD-J missiles, which can fool enemy radars by impersonating friendly aircraft.

Defense Systems

Air Force launces ninth GPS IIF satellite as delays continue for GPS III

As funding cuts push back plans for the next generation of satellites, the service says the current constellation can handle the load.

Business

Pentagon Has Done a Bad Job of Defending Nuclear Triad, Air Force General Says

​With hundreds of billions of dollars in new nuclear weapons being eyed over the next two decades, Pentagon leaders are pushing the value of the mission.

Science & Tech

War by Doxxing

Combat pilots are just the most recent victims of a common practice. It doesn’t mean that the military has been hacked.

Science & Tech

The Air Force Might Have To Protect Money Laundering in Space

Burgeoning US space monitoring capabilities may one day be used to protect off-planet money launderers from Chinese rockets.

Defense Systems

SpaceX, ULA spar over military sat launch competition

The Air Force launch rivals talk cost and capabilities during a House Armed Services Committee hearing on assured access to space.

Defense Systems

Handheld imaging tool makes light work of aircraft inspections

AFRL's HIT improves the quality of images while taking equipment weight from 1,200 pounds to 18 pounds.

Defense Systems

AFRL's sweat-sensor app breaks new ground in bio-monitoring

The lab, working with the University of Cincinnati, develops a patch that can deliver key medical information in near-real time to a smartphone.

Defense Systems

Air Force continues to track debris from exploded satellite

Weeks after confirming the explosion, the Air Force monitors the resulting space junk in polar orbit.

Defense Systems

AFRL working on insect-eye view for urban targeting

Lab awards additional funding for research into wide field-of-view image seekers for increased targeting ability in cluttered environments.

Defense Systems

Air Force looking to weaponized ultrashort pulse lasers

The technology could require only a modest amount of energy to create a destructive beam.

Ideas

The Air Force's Argument for Retiring the A-10 Makes No Sense

Service leaders claim the decision is based on cost and effectiveness. A close analysis of the data says otherwise.

Threats

US, Allies Reviewing Bomb Stockpiles for ISIS Fight

The U.S. military is making sure it has enough bombs and missiles to continue striking Islamic State strongholds in Iraq and Syria.

Defense Systems

Air Force weather satellite explodes in orbit

The 20-year-old satellite was no longer being used for forecasts but leaves more than a ton of space junk behind.

Defense Systems

AF secretary: Deadline to replace Russian rocket engine could be too soon

Deborah Lee James tells lawmakers that a domestic rocket engine might not be ready by 2019, because "this is rocket science."

Defense Systems

JIE: How DOD is building a bigger network that's also a smaller target

The Joint Regional Security Stacks add speed to the interservice network while reducing its cyber attack surface.

Defense Systems

Predator demos sense-and-avoid system with first air-to-air radar

Another Predator also sets a new flight endurance record, General Atomics says.

Defense Systems

Air Force closing in on more powerful satellite comm system

Six months of testing have concluded on the first three satellites in the AEHF constellation, which could soon reach initial operating capability.

Defense Systems

New anti-ship missile conducts precision strikes without GPS

The Navy's LRASM, developed with DARPA and the Air Force, also reduced reliance on traditional — and jammable — ISR platforms and networking links.

Policy

Air Force General's Treason Comments Spark Investigation

The Air Force is now investigating a general who reportedly accused Air Force pilots of committing treason for sharing successes of the A-10 aircraft with lawmakers.