National Security

Meet Troy Meink

Sept. 9, 2025 | By Greg Hadley and Tobias Naegele
Growing up, Troy Meink wanted to be a pilot, then an astronaut. He joined the Air Force, but his eyesight wasn't up to pilot standards, and the pilot dream was dashed. He began as a navigator, shifted into acquisition and space. He built airplanes in ...
The Pentagon is dismantling its oft-criticized Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System, pushing authority back to the military services in hopes of streamlining the setting of requirements and speeding up development of new weapons systems. 
Chinese officials and analysts say Golden Dome exacerbates international tensions, escalates the arms race in space, and undermines global stability, according to a new report from the U.S. Air Force’s China Aerospace Studies Institute.