An MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft flown by 163rd Attack Wing pilot Lt. Col. Paul Brockmeier, with sensor operator Master Sgt. Anthony Martinez, views the smoky San Gabriel Mountains of southern California in transit to a fire mission in northern California, late August, 2020. “The beauty of the sunsets doesn’t begin to mitigate the tragedy of the fires,” said Brockmeier. “But it’s always a beautiful evening when you’re flying to the aid of your fellow Californians.” Photo courtesy of Chalk 2 for the 163d Attack Wing.
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2021 USAF & USSF Almanac: Weapons & Platforms
June 30, 2021
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A detailed guide to the aircraft, aerial target systems, weapons systems, and satellite systems in USAF and USSF inventory.
Gen. B. Chance Saltzman, Chief of Space Operations for the U.S. Space Force, delivered the opening keynote of the 2025 AFA Warfare Symposium. Emphasizing the need for the U.S. to maintain space superiority, Saltzman made the case that the Space Force needs to develop capabilities to control the domain. Watch…
After an 89-year hiatus, the Air Force brought back a historic air race meant to prepare F-22 pilots and ground crews for future conflict while competing for bragging rights.
The Air Force's LC-130 Hercules touched down on freshwater ice for the first time in decades, signaling the service’s leap in flexibility for "defensive or offensive operations" in the Arctic. The New York Air National Guard landed the C-130 variant "Skibird" aircraft on frozen Parsons Lake in Inuvik, Canada on…
Gen. David W. Allvin, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, shared a revealing vision on the State of the Air Force at AFA’s Warfare Symposium March 3. In a forceful presentation, he made the case for why airpower is crucial to the Trump administration’s defense priorities, and why…
Late last month, the Office of the Secretary of Defense ordered the removal of military news content that promoted diversity, equity, and inclusion, and in the weeks since, some Air Force veterans and civilians have been surprised by what disappeared.
The Air Force has canceled its top annual technology and contracting conference, the 2025 edition of Life Cycle Industry Days, the Life Cycle Management Center said. The decision to cancel was driven by recent efficiency directives from the Trump administration. Whether the conference will resume next year has not been…
U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortresses continued a busy bomber task force deployment to Europe by participating in multiple drills with NATO partners last week, including simulated weapons targeting exercises and a live munitions drop in Finland.
The Florida ANG's 125th Fighter Wing welcomed its first three F-35A jets on March 4 as the Air Force aims to make the fifth-gen fighters the “primary aircraft securing the southeastern U.S.”
As Lockheed Martin prepares to release the first F-35 Block 4 software updates this summer, the company and the Joint Program Office are already well into analyses that will decide what will comprise Block 5 and later upgrades, Lockheed’s F-35 program manager said. For now though, some of the new…