Defense Systems
First B-52s to get new engines this year
Critical design review clears Boeing to upgrade two Stratofortresses in bid to keep them flying past 2050.
Policy
Air Force’s top general: Supplemental funding needed to replace US aircraft lost in Iran
The 2027 budget request was made before dozens of aircraft were destroyed during Epic Fury.
Defense Systems
Air Force pushes to fund upgraded refueling systems instead of new tanker development
One former military official fears delays for a tanker replacement could hurt the combat fleet.
Defense Systems
A-10s escape retirement once again amid continued use in Iran war
The Air Force will extend three squadrons to keep the Warthog flying through 2030.
Defense Systems
Air Force presses for space-based radar despite AWACS loss in Iran
The service is down to a handful of E-3 radar aircraft, but is pushing off proposals to fund its replacement.
Science & Tech
As aircraft losses mount, Pentagon wants a software fix to see through the fog of war
The Defense Department is looking to update how older planes see each other and absorb data.
Defense Systems
General Atomics pauses drone wingman flight tests after crash
The company is competing for the Air Force’s collaborative combat aircraft.
Threats
CIA deception campaign helped rescue downed airman in Iran, director says
The president suggested the agency had a covert way to track the F-15 crewman's movements.
Threats
Trump vows to find ‘leaker’ who publicized search for second downed airman in Iran
Asked whether the war in Iran is winding down or ramping up, the president said, “I don’t know.”
Policy
Budget seeks billions for Air Force's F-47 fighter jet, just millions for Navy’s F/A-XX
The 2027 request may renew a dogfight between the Pentagon, White House, and Congress.
Defense Systems
‘Not good news’: Iran’s damage to US radar plane harms military’s battlefield awareness
There’s only a handful of serviceable E-3 Sentrys. Having one out of the fight hurts, experts say.
Business
Tiltrotor who? US military helicopter deliveries rose 13 percent in 2025
The Big 3 U.S. makers delivered more rotorcraft last year than in 2024.
Ideas
Iran war shows the strategic limits of tactical strikes
A complex web of economic and geopolitical consequences are keeping victory out of reach.
Defense Systems
KC-135 crash in Iraq spurs calls for communications upgrades
Almost half of the Air Force's oldest tanker fleet lacks real-time battlefield connectivity systems.
Threats
A-10s are striking Iranian boats. Some say it’s a ‘wake-up call’ to stop the Warthog’s retirement.
Last year, Congress paused the aircraft’s retirement. Now it’s flying in Operation Epic Fury.
Threats
Anduril: new factory will start making drone wingman in just ‘days’
The Ohio manufacturing facility is to open months ahead of schedule.
Policy
Aircrew who died in KC-135 crash likely lacked parachutes
The Air Force removed chutes from the tankers in 2008 to save time and money.
Threats
Iran’s defense industrial base is ‘functionally defeated’: Hegseth
“Bad things can happen,” defense secretary says of Thursday’s KC-135 crash over Iraq
Defense Systems