Air Mobility Command’s KC-46 next-generation refueler has been operating from five bases nationwide and for nearly two years, but lessons learned and problems encountered were not unified until a Nov. 17-18 Weapons Systems Council at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. “The KC-46, being a new ...
Air
Purchases of new F-35 fighters, KC-46 tankers, and C-130 transports in recent years have made only a small dent in the age of the Air Force’s fleet, down to 29.1 years across all types after hitting 30.55 years in 2020. But the service operates eight ...
Active-duty Airmen who want to become pilots, combat systems officers, air battle managers, or remotely piloted aircraft pilots now have until Dec. 31 to apply for the Rated Preparatory Program. The Air Force launched the program in partnership with the Civil Air Patrol in 2019 ...
With some 90,000 Russian troops massing on Ukraine’s eastern border and holding large-scale military exercises in the area, worries are growing that Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing a possible invasion or other military actions against Ukraine. Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov visited Washington ...
After gaining ground in fiscal 2020, the Air Force's fighter fleet saw a drop in readiness in fiscal 2021. Most fighters saw declines of two or three percentage points, but the F-35A's mission capable rate fell about eight percentage points after a big uptick the ...
One pilot was killed and two more were injured during an incident involving two T-38 trainer jets at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, on Nov. 19, the 47th Flying Training Wing announced. Details of the incident have not been disclosed, but a release from the ...
Ukrainian Minister of Defense Oleksii Reznikov said Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III promised “unwavering” support to deter Russian aggression as border tension builds. Reznikov also confirmed Nov. 19 that Ukraine requested additional U.S. foreign military sales for its air and naval defenses. The new ...
The Air Force needs to reconsider its plans to retire the MQ-9 Reaper by 2035, given the drone’s capabilities and potential uses when measured against financial constraints and mission demands, defense analysts from four different think tanks argued Nov. 19. Experts from the Mitchell Institute for ...
An initial team of Parsons employees arrived at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, on Nov. 15, and its members are now working daily with U.S. Air Forces in Europe-Air Forces Africa, designing a plan to better defend U.S. air bases in the European and African theaters. ...