Air & Space Forces Magazine
In This Issue
Air & Space Forces Magazine May/June 2025 issue.
2025 USAF & USSF Almanac: Department of the Air Force Structure
Strategy & Policy: Just What is the Future of the F-35?
As futuristic aviation programs gain priority, the F-35—the only in-production, fifth-generation American fighter—is facing new headwinds. Fresh debate over its challenges and its potential in the coming months will shape its future role in the force. The House’s $150 billion...
Bob Lodge and the Making of Air Force Vietnam Aces
How one pilot’s unblinking focus on technology, tactics, and preparation helped turn the tide in the air war over North Vietnam. Operation Linebacker was conceived and promulgated from discussions at the bar at Udorn Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand,...
USAF’s Capacity, Capability, and Readiness Crisis
The Cold War Air Force was bigger, deeper, and readier than today’s. Here’s why it’s time for a reset. For the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the United States faces a true peer potential adversary in...
Heroes and Leaders: George E. Day
Name, rank, serial number … and the aftermath. Medal of Honor recipient George “Bud” Day was born in Sioux City, Iowa, in 1925. He grew up during the Depression and after dropping out of high school and joining the Marines...
Editorial: Preparing for a Fight
It is a law of survival, if not physics: In war, any advantage wielded by one side will be countered with an opposite, if not equal force, in a continuous back-and-forth until one or the other capitulates. The resultant innovation...