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 Pentagon is escalating its military aid for Ukraine with a new tranche of materiel that includes M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) for the first time, along with more Mi-17 helicopters, air surveillance radars and other equipment as part of a $700 million package.
The U.S. Air Force plans to field a fleet of 22 Boeing E-7A Airborne Early Warning and Control aircraft to replace its 31 E-3 Sentry AWACS, with the Wedgetail having beaten out two other contenders for the program, according to a new justification document.
The Pentagon has awarded a new contract for Stinger anti-aircraft missile replacements while also shifting more internal money for military assistance to Ukraine, and is seeking to stockpile critical munitions as it looks at lessons learned from Russia’s invasion.
