U.S. Air Force (USAF)

By Graham Warwick
Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The test of the Software Programmable Open Mission Systems Compliant radio terminal was developed under an Air Force Life Cycle Management Center contract.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Tony Osborne
Finland has begun allowing allies to conduct surveillance flights along the country’s 1,300-km border with Russia.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Michael Bruno
Boeing will record another charge on its star-crossed KC-46A tanker program for the U.S. Air Force.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The service is ending the Adaptive Engine Transition Program for its fleet, opting instead for Pratt’s cheaper Engine Core Upgrade proposal.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The Biden administration’s fiscal 2024 request includes an increase in procurement and research and looks to cut the current fleet to pay for it.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Chen Chuanren
The Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) is expected to be the first tenant in Ebbing.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble
U.S. Air Force officials have not backed off predictions of a first flight coming later this year, but certain conditions and a note of doubt have creeped in.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force plans to increase spending on its future Survivable Airborne Operations Center to replace the aging E-4B Nightwatch.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Graham Warwick
The contract is focused on metal tooling for fast-cure, out-of-autoclave composites processing.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Brian Everstine
The Air Force is planning to buy 10 Wedgetails over the next five years to recapitalize its air-moving target indicator mission.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force and Navy are using new congressional authorities to buy Raytheon AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM).
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force will see its spending increase dramatically in nuclear modernization over the next five years.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
No procurement funding for the single-engine jet trainer appears in the fiscal 2024 budget request rolled out by the U.S. Defense Department.
Light Attack and Advanced Training

By Chen Chuanren
Singapore’s ministry of defense has confirmed that the U.S. Air Force sent the Northrop Grumman RQ-4 Global Hawk on a “short-term deployment” to the island.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force is requesting $1.9 billion in RDT&E for its Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform, an increase from $1.7 billion in fiscal 2023.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force is focusing heavily on maritime strike as it looks toward the Pacific with a need for munitions.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Space Force is investing in new offensive capabilities in space.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force is again asking for permission from Congress to retire hundreds of aircraft.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force wants to increase its buy of Boeing F-15EXs above what was previously planned.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force will not go ahead with a full engine replacement for its Lockheed Martin F-35A.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
Next-Generation Air Dominance to be approximately a one-for-one F-22 replacement, bolstered by collaborative combat aircraft.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
Officials call for clean-sheet designs, saying commercial-derivative refuelers are not survivable.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Graham Warwick
Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.
Aerospace

By Brian Everstine
The Air National Guard has increased the numbers of F-15s it flies, and keeping them in the air has taken creative fleet management and intensive maintenance.
Budget, Policy & Operations