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
Air Force Chief: How the New F-47 Will Improve on the F-22
The Air Force is promising upgrades in range, stealth, schedule, cost, and number of airframes for its Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter—newly christened the F-47—compared to the F-22 aircraft it is succeeding.
Air Force May Need to Extend the KC-135 Service Life: AMC Boss
The Air Force may need to extend the life of the KC-135 Stratotanker again if the pace of aerial tanker modernization remains static, Gen. John A. Lamontagne said.
Air Force, Navy Pitched Trump to Keep Their NGAD Programs Intact
The Air Force and Navy have briefed President Donald Trump on their respective Next-Generation Air Dominance programs, asking that the projects proceed largely as they now stand, government and industry sources told Air & Space Forces Magazine. It’s not clear whether the services came away ...
STRATCOM Chief: Air Force Needs 145 B-21s and More New Strategic Systems
The Air Force should buy 145 stealth B-21 bombers to cope with the increased threats to U.S. security since that program came into being, Gen. Anthony J. Cotton, head of U.S. Strategic Command, said. He also said the Air Force and the Navy should reconsider ...
Lockheed Get $122 Million for Gear to Accelerate JASSM and LRASM Production
Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control received a $122.6 million installment on an ongoing contract to improve production of the AGM-158 JASSM/LRASM stealth missiles, the Pentagon announced March 14. The weapons have become the key standoff munitions for USAF’s combat air forces.
Space Force Asks for ‘Flexibility’ to Manage Effects of Yearlong CR
With Congress considering another continuing resolution to cover the rest of fiscal 2025, the Space Force’s No. 2 officer asked lawmakers to give the service “flexibility” to deal with budget uncertainty.
New Budget Deal Could Cost USAF Up to $14 Billion
The Air Force would suffer the loss of billions of dollars of buying power under a yearlong Continuing Resolution, only somewhat mitigated by proposals that would allow it to pursue new starts, Lt. Gen. Adrian Spain, deputy chief of staff for operations, told the readiness ...
Air Force Cancels Life Cycle Industry Conference for 2025
The Air Force has canceled its top annual technology and contracting conference, the 2025 edition of Life Cycle Industry Days, the Life Cycle Management Center said. The decision to cancel was driven by recent efficiency directives from the Trump administration. Whether the conference will resume ...
As First F-35 Block 4 Updates Start to Roll Out, Block 5 List Is Taking Shape
As Lockheed Martin prepares to release the first F-35 Block 4 software updates this summer, the company and the Joint Program Office are already well into analyses that will decide what will comprise Block 5 and later upgrades, Lockheed’s F-35 program manager said. For now ...
Lockheed Offers a New Low-Cost Cruise Missile as Part of ‘High-Low Mix’
Lockheed Martin is offering a low-cost air vehicle it calls a flying "truck" that could be a cruise missile or sensor platform, intended to be the "low end" complement to the high-end JASSM/LRASM stealth cruise missiles, and help the Air Force achieve "affordable mass" in ...
How Flying Test Bed Work Has Helped B-21 Make Good Progress
The first B-21 bomber is making good progress through its flight testing campaign and has required minimal software tweaks, building on extensive shakeouts of its systems carried out on a flying test bed, the president of Northrop Grumman’s aeronautics division said at the AFA Warfare ...
Air Superiority Is Still the Key to Winning. Achieving It Is Getting Harder
The air superiority mission is rapidly evolving, and to succeed at it the Air Force needs to focus not just on new technologies but training, new concepts, non-kinetic methods and munitions, senior Air Force officials said.
F-35 Hits 1 Million Flight Hours as Price Rise Stays Below Inflation
The unit price for the latest lot of the F-35 fighter will come in below the rate of inflation, Lockheed Martin’s manager for the program said March 3. The disclosure came on the same day Lockheed and Pratt & Whitney announced that the F-35 and ...
Navy Secretary Nominee Touts Service’s NGAD, with Improved Range and Capacity
The Navy’s secretive sixth-generation fighter—which will likely share attributes with the Air Force’s own Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter—will have substantially greater range and payload than its predecessors, President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Secretary of the Navy said—indicating enthusiasm for the program amid uncertainty about ...
Defense Industry: Want Surge Capacity? Pay For It.
If the Pentagon wants the U.S. defense industrial base to be able to surge production of munitions and more, those details should be included in requirements and contracts and paid for, industry leaders told lawmakers this week.