Senior Master Sergeant Promotion Rate Goes Up for Fourth Year in a Row

Feb. 24, 2025 | By Greg Hadley

The Air Force will promote 11.64 percent of eligible master sergeants to senior master sergeant this year, continuing a steady upward trajectory.

The Air Force Personnel Center announced Feb. 24 that 1,635 Airmen are moving up to E-8 out of 14,041 eligible. The full list of those selected will be posted on the center’s website Feb. 27 at 8 a.m. Central time.

The selection rate is the highest in six years and up 0.2 percent over last cycle. The total number of those selected is down slightly from the last cycle, but the number of those eligible dipped even more to its lowest level since 2019.

Back in 2022, the Air Force warned noncommissioned officers to expect lower than usual promotion rates due to enlisted grade structure revisions and high retention. In particular, they said, too many Airmen were getting promoted too quickly, leading to a lack of experience at lower ranks and a top-heavy enlisted force. At the time, leaders said they didn’t expect to reach a “healthier” distribution until 2025.

The lower rates hit grades E-5 to E-7 particularly hard, with some of the most competitive cycles in decades.

For senior master sergeant in particular, though, high retention seemed to play a bigger role. The uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic led to many Airmen staying in the service, creating especially competitive cycles in 2020-2022. It peaked in 2021, when only 1,194 Airmen out of 17,107 eligible were promoted to E-8—putting the selection rate below 7 percent, a rare occurrence in recent history.

Since then, promotion rates have increased four years in a row, though they are still a good bit off the high of 2012, when 13.78 percent of those eligible were selected.

Senior Master Sergeant Promotion Statistics

Year	Selected	Eligible	Promotion Rate
2025	1,635	14,041	11.64%
2024	1,734	15,151	11.44%
2023	1,629	16,031	10.16%
2022	1,443	17,419	8.28%
2021	1,194	17,107	6.98%
2020	1,184	15,544	7.62%
2019	1,434	13,316	10.77%
2018	1,549	13,054	11.87%
2017	1,391	11,788	11.80%
2016	1,467	11,904	12.32%
2015	1,257	14,362	8.75%
2014	999	14,823	6.74%
2013	1,367	12,834	10.65%
2012	1,702	12,351	13.78%
2011	1,274	12,378	10.29%
2010	1,269	13,741	9.24%

Hegseth Plans to Shrink Civilian Workforce; Air Force Hasn’t Fired Anyone Yet

Feb. 24, 2025 | By David Roza

The Office of the Secretary of Defense has ambitious goals to reduce the department’s civilian workforce by 5 to 8 percent, but it’s not clear how many of those will be Department of the Air Force employees.

On Feb. 20, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth released a video statement saying the Pentagon was reevaluating its probationary workforce in line with President Donald Trump’s directives and planned to cut the entire civilian workforce by 5 to 8 percent.

A day later, acting undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness Darin Selnick released a statement confirming the moves as part of an effort “to reform the Federal workforce.”

Many federal employees serve a probationary period for a year or more during which they have more limited appeal rights if they are fired. Across the federal government, thousands of such employees have been fired in recent days.

But Hegseth and Selnick said the plan is to eventually go beyond probationary employees and reduce the entire Defense Department civilian staff “to produce efficiencies and refocus the Department on the President’s priorities and restoring readiness in the force,” Selnick wrote.

Selnick expects about 5,400 probationary workers will be fired starting this week, followed by a hiring freeze as his staff evaluates their personnel needs. He pledged to “treat our workers with dignity and respect as it always does.”

According to recent data, the Pentagon has some 878,000 civilian employees—a 5 percent cut would equal around 43,900 employees, an 8 percent cut more than 70,000.

It’s not clear yet how many of Air Force employees—probationary or otherwise—may be fired.

“Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has indicated that the Pentagon is taking a deliberate, methodical approach to review its workforce and identify positions that may not directly contribute to warfighting success,” an Air Force official told Air & Space Forces Magazine. “There has been no direction to relieve Air Force employees at this time.”

An estimated 190,980 civilians worked for the Department of the Air Force in 2024, though that number was projected to fall to 186,278 in 2025. If the 5-8 percent cut is consistent across military departments, anywhere between 9,300 and 14,000 employees could be cut over time.

The Department of the Air Force did not respond to specific queries about its number of probationary employees and what areas of the workforce may see layoffs.

Civilians perform a range of tasks that reduce the workload for uniformed employees, from providing treatment in medical facilities to administrating military courts to supporting aircraft maintenance shops. Civilians also play a key role in the department’s intelligence and cyber workforce, with the Pentagon trumpeting its faster hiring time just last year.

One senior noncommissioned officer in aircraft maintenance said the number of civilian staff is already smaller today than what it used to be.

“Earlier in my career there were many more civilian positions that would do things like hazardous materials program managers, deployment managers, supply positions, and other support roles,” the NCO told Air & Space Forces Magazine on the condition of anonymity. “Those civilian positions have decreased over time and have been filled by Airmen who are supposed to be maintainers but have instead filled those supporting roles.”

A union of federal employees, including 250,000 defense employees, voiced their opposition to the planned cuts.

“They are tank and aircraft mechanics, commissary workers, ship inspectors,” American Federation of Government Employees National President Everett Kelley said in a Feb. 21 statement. “Cutting their jobs would push their work onto Soldiers, taking them away from their critical warfighting missions.”

U.S. law states the defense secretary may not reduce the full-time civilian workforce without “an appropriate analysis” of the reduction’s impact on workload, force structure, readiness, and other factors. Kelley said it was “clear that this analysis has not taken place.”

In Purge, Trump Fires Brown, Slife, Franchetti, and More

Feb. 21, 2025 | By Chris Gordon

President Donald Trump fired Air Force Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, announcing his intent to nominate retired Air Force Lt. Gen. John “Dan” Caine to replace him in a social media post Feb. 21.

Caine is a highly unusual choice. U.S. Code states the “President may appoint an officer as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff only if the officer has served as (A) the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; (B) the Chief of Staff of the Army, the Chief of Naval Operations, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, the Commandant of the Marine Corps, or the Chief of Space Operations; or (C) the commander of a unified or specified combatant command.”

Caine never served in those roles.

However, the law also states the those requirements can be waived “if the President determines such action is necessary in the national interest.” Congress must confirm any nomination.

Caine retired in December after a tour as Associate Director for Military Affairs at the CIA. Trump has repeatedly praised him in public going back to his first term in office.

Separately, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced he had been directed to replace:

Air Force Vice Chief of Staff James C. “Jim” Slife

Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti

The Judge Advocates General for the Army, Navy, and Air Force

Additional firings are believed likely, some sources said.

“General Caine is an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a ‘warfighter’ with significant interagency and special operations experience,” Trump wrote on his social media site Truth Social. Trump blamed former President Joe Biden for not promoting Caine to a four-star general. Caine was the deputy commanding general for special operations for Joint Task Force-Operation Inherent Resolve, the campaign against the Islamic State group, from 2018-2019 during Trump’s first term.

“During my first term, Razin was instrumental in the complete annihilation of the ISIS caliphate. It was done in record setting time, a matter of weeks,” Trump wrote, using Caine’s callsign.

A retired general can legally be recalled to Active service; Army Gen. Peter Schoomaker was recalled to become Army Chief of Staff in 2003, and Army Gen. Maxwell D. Taylor was recalled to Active Duty to become an advisor to President John F. Kennedy and later Chairman of the Joint Chiefs in 1962, three years after retiring after a tour as Army Chief of Staff. Caine was an Air National Guardsman and served part time from 2009-2016.

Brown was appointed to a nominal four-year term as Chairman that began in October 2023. The normal term would have ended in September 2027. The last Chairman to serve fewer than four years was Marine Gen. Peter Pace, who served just two years at a time when the Chairman was appointed to a two-year term, renewable up to four years. Pace had previously spent four years as Vice Chairman.

Trump wrote of Brown: “He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family.”

Vice Chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Christopher W. Grady is now acting as Chairman, officials said.

Brown was the 22nd Air Force Chief of Staff and the 21st Chairman; he was only the second Airman to serve as Chairman in this century, the last one being Gen. Richard Myers, and the second African American Chairman after Army Gen. Colin Powell. Brown was nominated to become CSAF by Trump. Brown took the oath of office in the Oval Office in August 2020, with Trump watching.

Rumors have been swirling around the Pentagon for weeks but gained traction recently when specific names reportedly circulated among Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Prior to the firing, Brown had been visiting troops deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border Feb. 21. Announcing his trip on social media, he had written that he was looking forward to “observing [personnel] in action as they execute the mission of securing the border.”

Hegseth has publicly criticized Brown and Franchetti in the past.

“First of all, you’ve got to fire the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs,” Hegseth said in November on the Shawn Ryan Show podcast, shortly before Trump picked him to lead the Pentagon. “But any general that was involved—general, admiral, whatever—that was involved in any of the DEI woke s— has got to go. Either you’re in for warfighting, and that’s it. That’s the only litmus test we care about.”

Hegseth also severely criticized Brown in his 2024 book, “The War on Warriors,” in which he alleged Brown “built his generalship dutifully pursuing the radical positions of left-wing politicians, who in turn rewarded him with promotions.” Hegseth wrote further, without elaboration, that Brown “has made the race card one of his biggest calling cards.”

Hegseth also vilified Franchetti, who he charged was chosen to be Chief of Naval Operations in 2023 largely because she is a woman.

Trump’s actions are unprecedented in their breadth, spanning the Chairman down to top military lawyers. It remains unclear whether Congress’ traditionally bipartisan armed services committees will raise objections. The Senate must confirm all nominations to general and flag officer positions.

“I am troubled by the nature of these dismissals. This appears to be part of a broader, premeditated campaign by President Trump and Secretary Hegseth to purge talented officers for politically charged reasons, which would undermine the professionalism of our military and send a chilling message through the ranks,” Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), the ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee said in a statement which praised the “brilliant careers” and “great courage, honor, and distinction” of the fired officers. “A professional, apolitical military that is subordinate to the civilian government and supportive of the Constitution rather than a political party is essential to the survival of our democracy.”

SASC Chairman Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) thanked Brown for his service and said he was “confident Secretary Hegseth and President Trump will select a qualified and capable successor.”

Trump had already fired one uniformed leader, Coast Guard Adm. Linda L. Fagan, within hours after taking office Jan. 20. The Coast Guard is a military service, but falls under the Department of Homeland Security.

In his statement, Hegseth wrote: “Under President Trump, we are putting in place new leadership that will focus our military on its core mission of deterring, fighting and winning wars.”

Space Force Finishes Construction at Australia Site for Its New Deep Space Radar

Feb. 21, 2025 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

The Space Force’s multinational project to build a new global radar network for safeguarding satellites from “malign activity” is taking shape, with the first facility in Australia now complete and set to go live by 2027.

This initiative known as the Deep-Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC) is a joint effort between the U.S., United Kingdom, and Australia, to track objects up to 22,000 miles above Earth in geosynchronous orbit (GEO). The three nations agreed to construct radar sites in each country to maximize coverage.

The first facility, located in Exmouth, a port town in Western Australia, broke ground in October 2023. The service’s release noted that construction wrapped up three months ahead of schedule, with the site’s first antennas installed and the initial transmission test completed in September. More test activities are now underway, with full operations expected at the facility in 2027.

The DARC Site 1 Receive Array in Western Australia is shown in this aerial photograph. DARC is a partnership between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, designed to create an all-weather, global system to track very small objects in Geosynchronous orbit (GEO) to protect critical U.S. and allied satellites. Photo Credit: Apache Drone Photography.

There are more than 500 active satellites in GEO, according to different sources. As space becomes increasingly contested, DARC aims to provide around-the-clock, all-weather surveillance to detect, identify, and characterize objects moving through GEO, such as space debris, to avoid collisions with both military and civilian satellites. The system also promises to detect any hostile actions that could disrupt operations.

In recent years, analysts and military leaders have increasingly sounded the alarm on space becoming a warfighting domain, as Russia and China have ramped up investment and developed new weapons. To counter that, Space Force leaders say they need more counter-space and domain awareness capabilities.

Lt. Col. Nicholas Yeung, chief of capabilities development for Space Systems Command’s International Affairs office, also cited the need for global partnerships, citing “emerging threats from adversaries and pacing challengers.” The DARC project aims to link the sites of the three partner nations, for shared data access and rapid responses to threats.

A Transmit Antenna at Site 1 is shown at night. Photo Credit: Doug Humphries, BAE Systems

“The collaboration between all parties for the DARC project has been outstanding and is an example of what can be done when we work with our partners on a common goal for the advancement of Space Domain Awareness across our three nations,” said Michael Hunt, the Australian representative on the DARC steering committee.

Northrop Grumman is leading the charge in building DARC facilities. The company secured a $341 million contract with the U.S. Space Force in 2022 to build the first site in Australia and is scheduled to work on the second site in the U.K. under a $200 million deal signed last year. The U.K. Ministry of Defence has proposed building the installation at Cawdor Barracks, an old military base in Wales, for its strategic location and to extend its use beyond its planned closure in 2028.

Environmental assessments and town planning are underway for final approval. If all goes as planned, Northrop expects to wrap up the second DARC facility by February 2030.

“Alongside the United States and Australia, the United Kingdom will continue to take deliberate steps that ensure DARC enables a collective ability to operate decisively in space,” Commodore Dave Moody, head of Space Capability for U.K. Space Command said in the release. “DARC leverages the geography and commitment of key partner nations to deliver persistent, comprehensive space domain awareness.”

The third site will be set up somewhere in the continental U.S. once environmental and airspace assessments are completed. DARC is expected to be fully operational by 2032.

“DARC will ensure the U.S., its allies, and partners can effectively characterize the movement of objects traveling in, from and to space, allowing us to mitigate the risk of debris-causing events that could hold the world’s space-enabled capabilities at risk,” said Brig. Gen. Chandler Atwood, deputy commander of Space Operations Command. “Increased Space Domain Awareness will also bolster our vital ability to attribute malign activity from irresponsible actors in the space domain when and if necessary.”

What’s Different About the New Air Force Handbook

Feb. 21, 2025 | By David Roza

About three weeks after it was removed Jan. 29, Air Force Handbook 1—a key document for Airmen preparing for promotion tests—reappeared on the Air Force enlisted promotion study guides website on Feb. 19, back-dated to Feb. 15. With less than two weeks to go before tests start for some Airmen, here’s what’s changed.

The 625-page handbook is a primer on the branch’s history, values, standards, structure, doctrine, and other fundamentals. Airmen hoping to make staff sergeant or technical sergeant use the handbook to prepare for the Weighted Airman Promotion System (WAPS) promotion fitness examination (PFE).

Originally published Nov. 1, 2024, the previous version was rescinded “as part of the ongoing efforts to implement and comply with all directives outlined in the Executive Orders issued” by President Donald Trump, the Air Force said last month. Trump has issued multiple orders intended to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs across the government.

The new version removed sections regarding diversity, inclusion, cognitive bias, COVID-19, among numerous tweaks.

The promotion testing window for technical sergeant typically runs from Feb. 15 to April 15, but on Feb. 12, the Air Force delayed the testing window to March 3 through May 1. Air Force regulations require Airmen to have access to study materials at least 60 days before their test date; officials say the handbook complies with that regulation because material was removed and no new material was added.

The actual tests will not be revised; questions related to DEI will be on the exam, the service said in a statement, but they will not be scored.

The window for staff sergeant is unaffected and will run from May 1 to June 30.

Section 14E

The largest change to the new handbook was the removal of section 14E, “Fosters Inclusion.” A three-page subsection of chapter 14, “Developing Others,” 14E called diversity “a military necessity” and “a strength that will impact our future force.”

“At the core, diversity provides collective strengths, perspectives, and capabilities that transcend individual contributions,” the old version said. To foster a diverse team, the section encouraged leaders to increase their awareness of stereotypes, appreciate different perspectives, and build common ground through organizational pride and positive norms.

Of the three pages under “Fosters Inclusion,” only the first page and a half explicitly mentioned diversity, while the rest dealt with building strong organizational culture.

“Norms that support hard work, loyalty, quality, and concern for customer satisfaction are examples of positive norms,” the old version stated.

Inclusion Out

The Air Force ratcheted up its emphasis on diversity matters in 2020, after an Inspector General report indicated disparities in the way Airmen were treated by the service’s justice system. Subsequent Air Force studies confirmed widespread race- and gender-based bias, and senior leaders encouraged Airmen to work together towards a solution.

“Most of the systems in our Air Force have been designed by people like me, for people like me,” said then-Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein in 2020. “So therefore, I’ve got blinders on that are going to keep me from seeing what others with a different life experience and background are going to see.”

Language removed from the handbook include:

A paragraph in the foreword describing the Air Force as “forged in the crucible of diversity, bound by a shared commitment to excellence.” The paragraph went on to say, “We recognize the strength of our team lies in our differences.” In a recent Pentagon townhall event, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that “I think the single dumbest phrase in military history is ‘our diversity is our strength.’”

A quote from Gen. Charles Q Brown, Jr., former Chief of Staff and now Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, calling for “leaders of character that are ready to create and foster environments of respect, inclusivity, and trust.”

A section of the “Professionalism” chapter, which directed Airmen to “maintain professionalism and respect for others regardless of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, disability, or sexual orientation.”

A section under “Basic Communication Tips” that said, “Sometimes we inadvertently exclude members of our audience by falling into communication traps involving references to race, religion, ethnicity, or sex.”

Miscellaneous

The new version of the handbook retains sections about trailblazers like the Tuskegee Airmen, Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Jr.; Col. Eileen M. Collins, Staff Sgt. Esther McGowin Blake, and others. A page about Thomas N. Barnes, the fourth Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, still details his work to stand up an Air Force Social Actions Program in 1969 and reduce barriers to service by women.

The revision removes nearly every instance of the words “gender” and “sexual orientation.” For example, where the previous version cited a ban on discrimination against military members based on “race, color, religion, gender, national origin, sex (to include gender identity), and sexual orientation,” while the revised version shortens the list to “race, color, religion, national origin, sex.”

The new version also removed text included under “Developing Ideas” about cognitive bias, which it defined as “common ways of thinking that can cause individuals to make irrational decisions in some circumstances.” Tha section made no mention of diversity or inclusion.

Also erased from the new version is a section that referenced COVID-19 and USAF’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which previously discussed the COVID vaccination mandate and social distancing. The Trump administration has moved to enable members discharged for refusing the vaccine to be reinstated if they wish to return to military service.

Air Force Puts Unique Twist on ACE in Middle East Exercise: Real-World Combat

Feb. 21, 2025 | By Chris Gordon

The U.S. Air Force is used to operating from large, fixed bases in the Middle East. But recently, Air Forces Central (AFCENT) tested its ability to disperse to smaller, unfamiliar locations with the exercise Agile Spartan, held in recent weeks, which rehearsed the Air Force-wide concept of Agile Combat Employment.

ACE training events, large and small, are going on throughout the Air Force. But unlike other Air Force commands, AFCENT stands out given its proximity to combat. U.S. forces in its region are tasked with stamping out the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria, assisting at times with the defense of Israel, and helping to protect shipping in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. That means they are often under the persistent threat of drone and missile attacks from Iranian-backed groups and potentially from Iran itself.

“We’re unique in that as we’re doing these ACE events, we are still generating real-world combat power,” Col. Derrick Michaud, AFCENT’s division chief for future operations, also known as the A35, said in an interview with Air & Space Forces Magazine.

But in Agile Spartan, AFCENT still managed to disperse teams from the central hubs that host thousands of troops in the region.

The most recent iteration of the multiweek exercise took place across the Middle East and featured an undisclosed number of Airmen from AFCENT’s deployed Air Expeditionary Wings. In some Air Force training events, Airmen confront simulated threats. For Agile Spartan, they dispersed while also carrying out some actual missions.

“To put it simply, it is all about validating our ability to integrate with regional partners and then generating combat power wherever we need to for a variety of reasons,” Michaud said. “This is going towards the overall knowledge base of the Air Force.”

U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Nathous Luna, avionics specialist assigned to the 389th Expeditionary Fighter Generation Squadron, marshals an F-15E Strike Eagle during Operation Agile Spartan 25.1 within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Jan. 29, 2025. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Luke Olson

To carry out the exercise, Air Forces Central used the entire range of CENTCOM’s armed and crewed aircraft. That included A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, F-16 Fighting Falcons, F-15E Strike Eagle fighters, as well as the specialized HC-130 Combat Talon II cargo aircraft, C-130J Super Hercules airlifters, HH-60W Jolly Green II helicopters, and some of the command’s in-demand KC-135 tankers.

“We did not just create our own missions to make the exercise happen. The missions that we launched out of there were actual real-world combat sorties generated by our team,” said Capt. Ryan Samolewski, an Agile Spartan detachment commander for a KC-135 deployment.

U.S. Air Force Capt. Daniel Smith, 91st Expeditionary Air Refueling Squadron pilot, performs a preflight inspection of a KC-135 Stratotanker during Operation Agile Spartan 25.1 within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Feb. 4, 2025. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Robert Nichols

As the exercise unfolded, A-10s deployed away from their base and were refueled in the field in Forward Area Refueling Point (FARP) operations by HC-130 aircraft. F-15Es conducted integrated combat turns, with Airmen refueling and rearming the fighters while their engines were still running, something Airmen did during AFCENT’s defense of Israel in April.

KC-135s also deployed to a new location, which AFCENT declined to disclose, without their traditional support footprint. “This location was the first time ever having a U.S. Air Force asset and personnel operated out of it,” said Samolewski, who serves as the 379th Expeditionary Operations Support Squadron’s director of operations. “We spent a couple of months reviewing requirements and evaluating, as well as working with our host nation partners to figure out all the logistical constraints and elements of getting ourselves out there for this exercise.”

The host nation helped with the requirements for the supply of jet fuel, air traffic control, and fire department support. Learning to operate more effectively with a U.S. partner was another plus.

“ACE is key for us to expand options to complicate the adversaries’ decision-making,” said Michaud. “But this is also about collective self-defense of the region. Our ability to do this and generate combat power supports [partner nations] as well. So it’s a positive thing for both us and our partners.”

Airlifters also supported the temporary deployments in addition to their typical missions.

“Most of what we do around the AOR is sustainment, and for this exercise, it was more a deployment and a redeployment,” said Maj. Joshua McLaughlin, the assistant director of operations for the 39th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron, a C-130 unit. “The big thing for us was operating places with a smaller footprint, so really only taking what we absolutely needed to execute the mission and then going places that don’t have necessarily the full setup like you would in a lot of other more established locations.”

McLaughlin added, “For us, it’s getting the tasking and then providing the needed airlift to make that happen.”

In addition to the wings, Agile Spartan also included “staff-wide event planning and execution” from AFCENT’s U.S. headquarters at Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., to its forward hub at the Combined Air Operations Center at Al Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Michaud said.

AFCENT does not permanently assign units and relies on personnel who rotate in and out the region every six months. But Airmen said they would take their lessons back home. As Agile Spartan is a recurring exercise, information is captured in after-action reports and “coordinated back to the next round of Airmen coming out and future generations,” said Michaud.

“None of these are done in a vacuum,” Michaud added. “It’s an iterative process. We learn something every time we do it. … We had different desired learning outcomes this time that we exercised and we’ll continue to build on it going forward.”

A U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules assigned to the 39th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron sits parked on the flight line during Operation Agile Spartan, a joint and coalition exercise within the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, Feb. 2, 2025. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Sarah Ortega Corona

Advanced Fighter Engines Pass Design Review. Now Comes Fabrication Stage

Feb. 20, 2025 | By John A. Tirpak

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 plan is for the winner of the NGAP program to power the Air Force’s Next-Generation Air Dominance NGAD fighter.

Detailed design is the fourth of six phases the Air Force has set for NGAP, after initial design, preliminary design, and adaptive prototyping planning, but before engine fabrication and engine assessments.

The completion of design review “marks a significant step toward delivering revolutionary propulsion technology for the Air Force’s future fleet,” GE said in a press release. Its NGAP engine is called the XA102, while Pratt’s is the XA103.

Both companies touted the use of modeling and simulation, as well as other digital tools, in the design of their engine.

GE said the XA102 is the first in company history to be developed using a model-based systems engineering approach, and in its design presentation to the Air Force, the company showcased “the comprehensive digital engine model and [validated] its readiness for the next stage of development.”

Steve Russell, vice president and general manager of GE’s “Edison Works” technology incubator unit, said MBSE “has been instrumental in the success” of the XA102 design.

“As we transition into the procurement and build phase, we will continue to incorporate this innovative approach while working closely with our supply chain partners to advance the engine toward a full-scale demonstration,” he said.

Pratt said it made its design presentation to the Air Force “directly from its collaborative digital environment, providing reviewers with immediate access to all the data and material to satisfy the stringent criteria. Passing this fully digital evaluation allows the team to begin procuring hardware for the construction of its XA103 prototype ground demonstrator, which is expected to test in the late 2020s.”

Jill Albertelli, president of Pratt’s military engines business, said digital processes—which are required in the NGAP program—“will be at the foundation of our technology maturation for our future next-gen solutions.”

Pratt said its NGAP engine’s adaptive architecture enables its components to adjust for “optimized fuel efficiency, survivability, and power and thermal management, surpassing the capabilities of fourth- and fifth-generation engines. This step change in engine capability will help ensure the U.S. Air Force maintains air superiority and deters pacing challenges.”

GE similarly said adaptive engine cycles are “critical to ensure U.S. combat aircraft maintain their superiority by providing greater range and significantly more thermal management capability compared to today’s most advanced combat engine.”

Both engines derive from the work the companies did on the Adaptive Engine Transition Program, which yielded powerplants intended to fit in the F-35 fighter and provide that aircraft with significantly more thrust, range, loiter time, and cooling capability than the aircraft’s original equipment, Pratt’s F135 engine.

However, the bypass characteristics of the two AETP engines made them incompatible with the F-35B and C models without extensive re-engineering. The Pentagon decided not to pursue an all-new engine for only the Air Force F-35A variant, and instead chose to pursue the F135 Engine Core Upgrade, now in development by Pratt, which will be applicable to all F-35 variants. Remaining monies in the AETP program were shifted to NGAP in the fiscal 2025 defense budget.

The NGAP program is largely classified, and all that Air Force officials have said about it is that the engine will be a different size from the engines built for AETP.

Despite the green light to proceed to fabrication, the future of NGAP is uncertain. The Air Force put a pause on the NGAD program last summer, with then-Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall saying it was under review to see if its capabilities still matched the anticipated threat. The aircraft’s projected cost of hundreds of millions of dollars was also a factor.

Near the end of his tenure, Kendall punted a decision on the future of NGAD to the incoming Trump administration, saying it should make further decisions in the project because it will “own” the next steps in development.

With the program’s future uncertain, the unnamed contractors working on NGAD received Technology Maturation and Risk Reduction contracts to tide them over until the next steps are decided. The options include selecting a contractor to enter engineering and manufacturing development as planned; change requirements for the existing competitors; or cancel the program and take a different approach to future air superiority.

Deciding what to do about NGAD is likely one of the first decisions facing Air Force Secretary nominee Troy Meink, should he be confirmed. Presidential advisor Elon Musk, whose Department of Government Efficiency commission is eyeing potential Pentagon budget cuts, has derided the F-35 and all human-crewed fighters as technological relics unworthy of further investment.

The Air Force was not immediately able to offer comment on the design review or contracts for the next stages of NGAP.

Irked By Boeing, Trump Eyes ‘Alternatives’ for New Air Force One

Feb. 20, 2025 | By Greg Hadley

President Donald Trump raised the possibility of major changes to the “Air Force One” replacement program in the face of persistent and growing delays.

Speaking with reporters late Feb. 19 aboard one of the current jets used for presidential airlift, Trump confirmed he is frustrated with the planned VC-25B replacement program and with prime contractor Boeing. Video of his comments circulated on C-SPAN, Fox News, and other media outlets.

“I’m not happy with Boeing,” Trump said. “It takes them a long time to do Air Force One. We gave that contract out a long time ago as a fixed-price contract, and I’m not happy with the fact that it’s taking so long, and we may do something else. We may go and buy a plane or get a plane or something.”

Boeing has been working on a replacement for the current VC-25A “Air Force One” jets since 2015. During Trump’s first term, he took a keen interest in the program, first expressing displeasure with the price, then announcing a new deal worth $3.9 billion for two aircraft in 2018 and revealing plans for a new paint scheme in 2019.

The program continues to suffer delays, however. The Air Force settled on two Boeing 747-8 airframes and hired Boeing to be the systems integrator for the many extensive modifications needed to transform a basis commercial jetliner into a “mobile West Wing.”

The goal was to field the new aircraft by 2024, but cost has grown and the schedule has slipped. Boeing says it has absorbed more than $2 billion in costs and now suggests delivery could take as much as four more years.

“Now supposedly they’re losing a lot of money and they’d like to see if they could up the price,” Trump said. “But I like fixed-price deals.”

Airbus is the only other manufacturer that makes such large aircraft, but Trump dismissed the idea of turning to Boeing’s European rival, saying he “would not consider Airbus.”

“But I could buy one that was used and convert it,” he said. “I could buy one from another country, perhaps, or get one from another country. So we’re looking at other alternatives, because it’s taking Boeing too long.”

Boeing declined to comment. An Air Force spokesperson, asked whether the White House has directed the Air Force to look at alternatives, said only that “Boeing is expected to deliver an updated Integrated Master Schedule to the Air Force in Spring 2025.”

The Air Force regularly converts commercial aircraft for military uses; the new Survivable Airborne Operations Center aircraft, the successor to the service’s E-4B “Doomsday” plane, will also be based on 747-8 jets. USAF acquired five Korean Air 747-8 passenger jets to retrofit for that project, and hired . Sierra Nevada Corp. on a $13 billion contract to equip the jets.

Trump toured a Boeing plane in Florida this month that was previously owned by Qatar, a move intended to highlight Boeing’s “failure to deliver a new Air Force One on time as promised,” a White House official told pool reporters.

Boeing and Air Force officials blame delays and cost overruns for the new Air Force One jets on higher-than-expected manufacturing costs, protracted negotiations with suppliers, other supply chain issues, engineering changes, and shortages of skilled workers with security clearances.

In other reports, the Government Accountability Office has noted other problems plaguing the new aircraft: wiring design issues; cabin noise from the environmental control system; delays in finalizing a testing plan; and stress-corrosion cracks necessitating repairs.

In its latest budget request, the Air Force projected initial operational capability for the first aircraft in mid-2028, and some media outlets have reported that date might slip further, to 2029. That would put the program five years behind its original timeline and drag out to 14 years the time from program start to delivery of just two jets.

Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said in media interviews in recent weeks that Elon Musk—the billionaire owner of SpaceX and a close adviser to Trump—is working with the company to help deliver the VC-25B faster.

Two B-1 Bombers Fly with South Korea as Leaders Tout Value of Advanced Training

Feb. 20, 2025 | By Unshin Lee Harpley

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.

The Lancers were joined by three USAF F-16s, four U.S. Marine Corps F-35Bs, four Republic of Korea Air Force F-35As, and two of their F-15Ks, for simulated precision strike and air defense training, according to a release. The F-16s came from the 51st Fighter Wing at Osan Air Base, South Korea, while the Marine Corps fighters came from the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, located in southern Japan. The long-range bombers, from Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., have been stationed at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam since last month.

“Advanced training like today’s event ensures we’re able to maintain the high levels of readiness necessary for our combined defense posture,” said Lt. Gen. David R. Iverson, Seventh Air Force commander, in the release. “Each time our aircrew plan, execute and debrief together, we build proficiency in our tactics, techniques and procedures to defend the Alliance, if required.”

The South Korean Ministry of National Defense said the training was conducted to “demonstrate the U.S.’s extended deterrence capability against North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats, and to bolster the interoperability of the South Korea-U.S. combined forces.”

Maj. Gen. Jason R. Armagost, head of the 8th Air Force that oversees the U.S. bomber fleet, likewise said in a Feb. 19 press conference that the U.S. and South Korea will continue to train on how to integrate nuclear and conventional forces while keeping a close eye on North Korea.

“All the way from competition activities through crisis and conflict, that relationship of working together, planning together, and operating militarily together is an extremely powerful thing to practice and to conduct,” said Armagost.

Two U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancers fly in formation with two Republic of Korea Air Force F-15 Slam Eagles and two U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcons during bilateral training in training airspace above South Korea, Feb. 20, 2025. The aircraft were joined by four ROKAF F-35As, one more U.S. Air Force F-16, and four U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning IIs for precision strike and air interdiction training. (Photo courtesy of ROK Air Force)

The B-1s flew from Guam into South Korean airspace, escorted in by ROK Air Force F-15K Slam Eagles. Following State Department approval in November, the F-15K fleet is set for a major $6.2 billion upgrade, including advanced mission computers, radar systems capable of tracking targets at long distances, missile warning systems, along with spare parts and technical support.

The Air Force deployed four Lancers from Ellsworth to Anderson on Jan. 15 for the first Bomber Task Force of 2025. Two of those B-1s participated in a trilateral flight with two ROK Air Force F-15Ks and two Japanese Air Self-Defense Force F-2s on the same day, flying in the airspace between Japan and South Korea before landing in Guam.

The three nations held their first-ever trilateral air exercise in October 2023 and have since flown together three more times, each time with American bombers accompanied by some combination of Japanese, American, or South Korean fighters. The growing ties between the three countries were highlighted by a trilateral summit between the nations’ political leaders in August 2023, where they agreed to conduct more annual exercises.

Since then, however, all three countries have experienced political change: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida stepped down in October, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol was impeached over a martial law declaration, and new U.S. President Donald Trump canceled exercises with South Korea in his first term, claiming they were too expensive and pushing both Seoul and Tokyo to increase payments to support the U.S. military presence in their countries. It remains to be seen how these recent shakeups will affect future military exercises.