U.S. Air Force (USAF)

By Brian Everstine
Sen. Tommy Tuberville placed a hold on DOD nominations to protest a policy of the military reimbursing travel for service members who obtain abortions.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Ben Goldstein
Archer Aviation has announced the establishment of a new Government Services Advisory Board, staffed by a cadre of retired military officers.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Jen DiMascio
U.S. hypersonic facilities need cash; China’s X-37B returns; Poland warms to Korea’s KF-21; and fleet retirement optimism.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Graham Warwick
eVTOL noise rules; Adaptive drone wings; Assuring autonomy; and A220 on 100% SAF.
Advanced Air Mobility

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. military’s top test facilities for hypersonic weapons are facing issues with equipment reliability and parts obsolescence.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Graham Warwick
Transcend Air has partnered with Israel Aerospace Industries’ North American operation to develop military applications for its planned Vy family of VTOLs.
Advanced Air Mobility

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

By Steve Trimble
A rare tour of GE’s test chamber for adaptive engines highlights the reality of the new technologies as the company tries to save the program from cancellation.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
U.S. Air Force Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach has been tapped to be the next commander of the service’s Air Combat Command.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The Air Force’s future ground-moving target indication capability from space will be a scaled-up version of an existing NRO-designed constellation.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Graham Warwick
Under the AFWerx contract, Pittsburgh-based Near Earth will develop an architecture that enables autonomous aircraft to operate safely and efficiently.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble
Digital engineering had promised to deliver the trainer within six years of contract award, but problems have conspired to stretch Boeing’s schedule to 8 years.
Light Attack and Advanced Training

By Steve Trimble
GE Aerospace has launched a third series of monthslong ground tests on the XA100 adaptive turbofan engine.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force has pressed to accelerate its E-7A Wedgetail program to replace the aging E-3 AWACS and has received increased funding to do so.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force expects to move its next-generation air-to-air missile into production next year.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Chen Chuanren
The U.S. Pacific Fleet has “recently” tracked balloons across the Pacific and can down them if required, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander Adm. Samuel Paparo says.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
Scramjet testing has scored several breakthroughs, but the path forward for the Pentagon’s portfolio of hypersonic glide vehicle projects is unclear.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Steve Trimble
Metrea’s business case rests on the uncomfortable fact that hundreds of Air Force-owned air refueling aircraft cover only a fraction of the potential demand.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. military’s V-22 operators—the Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force—have reached the end of their programs of record for the tiltrotor.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Michael Bruno
Boeing is sticking with its full-year and long-term guidance for narrowbody production and corporate financials but warns the ride will be bumpy.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
As the Pentagon rolled out its budget proposal earlier this spring, the U.S. Air Force was circulating its own legislative proposal to other services.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Garrett Reim
The first two Joby aircraft are expected to be delivered to Edwards AFB, California, by early 2024.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force needs to develop resilient space-based data transport, missile warning, tactical surveillance and navigation that can survive attack.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Brian Everstine
President Joe Biden has chosen a new uniformed leader for the U.S. Army.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
Despite its global sales success, the F-35 entered service five years late and cost billions more than expected to develop and acquire.
Aircraft & Propulsion