National Security

The Pentagon still believes Iran presents a threat to Israel and is determined to maintain sufficient forces in the region to deter Iranian aggression, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III said on a visit to Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., Sept. 13.

Verbatim

Sept. 6, 2024
The Next Fighter Engine Cost is going to be a significant variable. … You could do a lower-cost engine and actually use something that’s available today, … or you go into something that’s brand-new. …Both of those variables are going...

WORLD: Air

Sept. 6, 2024
B-1 Bombers from Ellsworth to Grand Forks USAF plans to relocate B-1s in 2025. By Unshin Lee Harpley The Air Force is planning to relocate 17 B-1 bombers from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., to Grand Forks Air Force Base, N.D.,...
The congressionally appointed Commission on the National Defense Strategy (NDS), after a thorough two-year look, concludes that the strategy is deeply flawed. The bipartisan panel of experts unanimously urged revisions to address emerging threats and advised a steady increase in defense spending to meet growing ...
The risk of world war today has never been greater since 1940—and the United States has arguably never been less ready. Waking the nation up to that fact should be a top priority for our national leaders, though precious little has been said or will ...

Fighting the Air Base

Sept. 6, 2024
Front-line air bases are like any other weapon system: They are only effective if they can function under enemy fire. Air bases at forward locations in the Indo-Pacific, Europe, or other theaters must be able to fend off complex integrated air and missile strikes, rapidly ...
Our F-16 burst through the clouds above Spangdahlem Air Base on a crisp early morning in June, one of several Fighting Falcons from the 480th Fighter Squadron operating as an opposition force for a counter-air exercise. 
When China’s air force and coast guard engaged recently in apparently provocative actions in the East and South China Seas, most Western media framed the events as evidence of Beijing’s aggressive and potentially destabilizing behavior. While aggressive is often an apt term for People’s Liberation ...