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 is kicking off its effort to replace the E-3 Sentry AWACS, releasing a request for information for its replacement on Feb. 8 that calls for two prototypes by 2028.
The distance involved in operations over Afghanistan and the persistent need for overhead surveillance to develop targets has taken a toll on deployed MQ-9 Reapers, though there are continuing talks with neighboring nations about basing rights, the pick to lead U.S. forces in the region told lawmakers Feb. 8.
The U.S. Army is expected to bear the brunt of budget cutbacks when the Pentagon’s spending plan is finally rolled out, and that could require some bold moves including ending what the service had said is its top aviation procurement priority.
