Brian Everstine is the Pentagon Editor for Aviation Week, based in Washington, D.C. Before joining Aviation Week in August 2021, Brian covered the Pentagon for Air Force Magazine. Brian began covering defense aviation in 2011 as a reporter for Military Times. Over a decade as a defense journalist, he has reported from dozens of bases at home and abroad, including austere airstrips in Afghanistan, the cockpit of a B-52 over the South Pacific and the boom operator station of a KC-46. Before the military beat, Brian covered the Washington state legislature for the Associated Press.
The U.S. Air Force’s newest refueler, the Boeing KC-46, has flown its first combat refueling sortie as part of an exercise to employ the tanker downrange before it is officially operational.
Lockheed Martin will connect its Speed Racer flight vehicle with an F-35 in flight tests as a way to demonstrate autonomy and crewed-uncrewed teaming for future Pentagon programs such as the U.S. Air Force’s and Navy’s planned collaborative combat aircraft.
Boeing is looking at ways to integrate more orders for its AH-64 Apache attack helicopter following a major announcement from Poland along with two other nations that have said they intent to buy the chopper as well as at least one more multiyear order from the U.S. Army.
