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

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 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.

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.

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.

Search the archives for more stories by John A. Tirpak