Irked By Boeing, Trump Eyes ‘Alternatives’ for New Air Force One
President Donald Trump raised the possibility of major changes to the “Air Force One” replacement program the Air Force is pursuing in the face of persistent and growing delays.
Pratt Gets $1.5B to Sustain F-22 Engine—and Is Working on Upgrades
RTX's Pratt & Whitney got a $1.5 billion Air Force contract for three more years of sustainment of the F119 engine, which powers the F-22 Raptor. The company is also looking at capability upgrades for the engine, should they be needed.
Two B-1 Bombers Fly with South Korea as Leaders Tout Value of Advanced Training
Two U.S. Air Force B-1 bombers led a joint aerial exercise between the U.S. and South Korea over Korean airspace on Feb. 20, as officials emphasized the importance of training to counter the likes of North Korea.
Advanced Fighter Engines Pass Design Review. Now Comes Fabrication Stage
Engines from GE Aerospace and RTX’s Pratt & Whitney have cleared the Air Force’s “Detailed Design Reviews” for the Next-Generation Adaptive Propulsion program, paving the way for the engine-makers to build prototype ground demonstrators, the two companies announced separately. The...
Radar Sweep
Trump Administration Weighing C-UAS Role in Iron Dome for America, Two-Star General Explains
Breaking Defense
Pentagon officials are crafting a plan to expand the United States’s missile defense system under the “Iron Dome for America” initiative, and grappling with whether new tech to down aerial drones should also be included, according to a two-star Army general. “There’s talk about does that involve counter-UAS [unmanned aerial systems] or will counter-UAS be established [separately],” Maj. Gen. David Stewart told Breaking Defense earlier this month.
Xi Is Trying to Secure the Devotion of China’s Military
The Wall Street Journal
Chinese leader Xi Jinping has purged dozens of military commanders in his latest bid to wipe out corruption and disloyalty—a scourge he blames on a weakening of ideological zeal and moral rectitude. To remedy that, Xi has launched a campaign to reshape minds in one of the world’s largest armed forces.
Pentagon May Break Up Tech Offices in Acquisition Policy Shift
Defense One
As part of a broader shift in acquisition philosophy, the Pentagon may combine parts of several innovation-fostering offices into a new one focused on buying cutting-edge products from companies, a senior defense official tells Defense One.
L3Harris Breaks Ground on Solid Rocket Motor Production Expansion
Defense News
The construction of four new solid rocket motor production facilities has begun at L3Harris’ Aerojet Rocketdyne campus in Camden, Ark., with a groundbreaking ceremony Feb. 20, the company announced.
CYBERCOM Wants More Consistent Readiness Approach Across the Services
DefenseScoop
The head of U.S. Cyber Command wants to see a more consistent approach to readiness across the military. As currently architected, each military service provides a set number of forces to Cybercom to employ in operations. However, the different branches, to a large extent, still retain their own policies and regulations when it comes to figuring out how to staff those forces to CYBERCOM. This has led to inconsistencies within the cyber mission force—which was designed to be joint and trained to the same standards—with different promotion structures, pay, and assignments for the same work roles across each branch.
New Hypersonic Strike-Recon Aircraft Effort Eyeing Prototype Development by 2030
The War Zone
The U.S. Air Force, in cooperation with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is still exploring concepts for a reusable hypersonic air vehicle capable of performing strike and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) missions. Work being done now could lead to the start of the development of a flying Next Generation Responsive Strike (Next RS) prototype or demonstrator within the next five years.
DOD Reviewing ‘Non-Essential’ Consultancy Contracts for Termination
Breaking Defense
The Defense Department has ordered all acquisition shops to review consulting service contracts to determine whether they are essential to Trump administration priorities, and terminate those deemed not to fit that bill.
As Defense Department Preps for Mass Firings, Hegseth Says a Hiring Freeze and More Firings Are Coming
Defense One
In a video posted to social media late on Feb. 20, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that the department was doing a "reevaluation of our probationary workforce" in compliance with the Office of Personnel Management’s Jan. 20 directive.
China Says It Backs New US and Russian ‘Consensus’ on Ukraine War
POLITICO
China supports the “recent consensus” the U.S. and Russia have reached on ending the war in Ukraine, the country’s top diplomat said Feb. 20. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a Group of 20 summit in South Africa that Beijing “hopes that the parties concerned can find a sustainable and lasting solution that takes into account each other’s concerns.”
Lockheed CEO: F-35 Still ‘Essential’ Despite Promises of Unmanned Warfare
Inside Defense
Lockheed Martin's CEO doesn't see the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter losing prominence in the U.S. or partner fleet anytime soon, despite some Trump administration officials questioning the jet's usefulness as drones are made more sophisticated. The U.S., its allies and its partners will only maintain air superiority over the next decades if they continue to use manned, fifth-generation fighter jets, Jim Taiclet said Feb. 20 at the Citi 2025 Industrial Tech and Mobility Conference.
WWII Airman Who Was Identified After 80 Years to Be Given Arlington Burial
Staten Island Advance
The remains of a World War II airman from Staten Island who was identified after 80 years of being unaccounted for will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia on Feb. 24. Lt. Francis E. Callahan of New Brighton was killed in action in Germany in 1944 at the age of 22. Forensic testing finally identified his remains in 2024.