John A. Tirpak
John A. Tirpak is Editorial Director of Air & Space Forces Magazine, with more than 25 years at the publication and more than 34 years in defense journalism. He has written for Aviation Week & Space Technology, Aerospace Daily, and Jane’s, reporting from all 50 U.S. states and 25 countries. He has been recognized with awards for journalistic excellence from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Aviation and Space Writer’s Association, the Association of Business Publications International, and was the recipient of the 2018 Gill Robb Wilson Award in Arts and Letters from the Air & Space Forces Association. He has lectured at the National War College and did postgraduate research at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum.
Recent stories by John A. Tirpak
Kendall: In US-China ‘Race for Technological Superiority,’ AI May Be the Key
China thinks it will be able to invade Taiwan by 2027 and has developed a technology edge in many key areas—but it is artificial intelligence that may be the decisive factor should conflict erupt, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said.
Pentagon Spending Big to Counter Cheap Drones
Anduril Industries said it received $350 million to build 500 high-explosive-equipped examples of its Roadrunner uncrewed VTOL aircraft. If detonation isn't needed, it can be safely recovered and re-used, the company said.
MacDill Ends Evacuation Order After Moderate Hurricane Damage
Airmen who evacuated from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla. ahead of Hurricane Milton are to start returning, but the base is not yet back up to operational status.
MacDill Escapes Disastrous Flooding from Hurricane Milton
MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Fla., seems to have escaped a devastating storm surge predicted to coincide with Hurricane Milton’s landfall in the region on Oct. 9, but a recovery team is still assessing the damage caused by heavy rain and high winds. Most ...
Lockheed Gets New F-35 Manager with a Long History in the Program
Chauncey McIntosh will become vice president and general manager of the F-35 program at Lockheed Martin starting Dec. 1, the defense contractor announced Oct. 9. He succeeds Bridget Lauderdale, who is retiring after 38 years with the company and nearly four years heading the F-35 ...
Why Russia Shot Down Its Own S-70 Drone Over Ukraine
The wreckage of one of Russia’s newest stealth drones is now in the hands of the Ukrainian forces—a potential intelligence windfall for that country and its partners—after a Russian fighter chased, then shot it down over Ukrainian territory Oct. 5.
Leidos Says New ‘Black Arrow’ Small Cruise Missile Is Ready for Flight Test
Leidos says it is about to begin flight tests of its low-cost Small Cruise Missile, called "Black Arrow." The weapon is being developed in partnership with Air Force Special Operations Command.
Pentagon Wants to Fastrack Buy of Cheap One-Way Drones
The Pentagon's Defense Innovation Unit is looking for cheap commercial drones to perform a variety of battlefield missions for multiple services, according to a recent solicitation. The DIU wants small business and "nontraditional" contractor involvement in the project, which has a short response time.
Pratt & Whitney Gets $1.3 Billion to Mature F-35 Engine Core Upgrade
Pratt & Whitney received a $1.31 billion contract Sept. 30 to continue development of the F135 Engine Core Upgrade for the F-35 fighter. The program passed Preliminary Design Review in July, and, barring any problems, will go into Critical Design Review within a year.
Lockheed Gets $3.5 Billion for JASSM/LRASM Missiles as It Eyes ‘Extreme Range’ Variant
Lockheed Martin received two Air Force contracts on Sept. 27, together worth $3.56 billion, for production of the AGM-58B Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile and the AGM-158C Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile, the Pentagon announced. The contracts include missiles for the Air Force, Navy, and partner nations under ...
CCA Drones Could Cost Less Than $1,200 per Pound—But Can They Get Sensors to Match?
The Air Force thinks Collaborative Combat Aircraft can be bought for as little as $1,200 per pound—about a third of the cost of crewed fighters—but mission equipment needs to be aligned to that lower price.
Faced with New and Growing Demands, Military Propulsion Needs More Support: Experts
There are a lot of new demands on the government-industry propulsion enterprise—ranging from exquisite new fighter engines to cheap, off-the-shelf powerplants for drones—that will require sustained support, experts said.
Lockheed Quietly Delivered 1,000th F-35 in July; Clearing Full Backlog May Take 18 Months
It'll take up to 18 months for Lockheed Martin to deliver the 100 or so F-35s that went directly from production line to storage, awaiting the completion of Tech Refresh 3 testing. Customers haven't complained about the order in which the backlog is being delivered.
New B-21 Bomber Now Flying Up to Twice a Week
The secretive new B-21 bomber is flying as much as twice a week in flight test at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and ground tests of two other aircraft are also proceeding well, program officials revealed at AFA’s Air, Space and Cyber conference.
USAF Leaders: Pilot Shortage Requires ‘Holistic,’ Analytical Solution
Holistic approaches, rather than individual good ideas, will help mitigate the Air Force's chronic pilot shortage, panelists said at AFA's Air, Space & Cyber conference.