Tobias Naegele
Tobias Naegele is the editor in chief of Air & Space Forces Magazine. The long-time chief editor of the Military Times group, along with Defense News, he was the founding editor of Marine Corps Times and, before that, Military & Aerospace Electronics. He is no less fascinated by the convergence of technology and military policy, and of telling the military’s stories that he was when he first reported on these topics four decades ago.
Recent stories by Tobias Naegele
Natalie Crawford, Icon of USAF Analysis and Modernization, Dies at 86
Natalie Crawford, whose analysis helped shape and build Air Force modernization for decades, has died at 86. Crawford, who joined RAND Corp. in 1964 and spent more than 60 years as an analyst and expert there, was an influential and instrumental voice in the development ...
WORLD: DAF
Allvin’s Retirement Casts Shadow on ‘Re-Optimization’ With his Aug. 18 announcement that he would retire this fall, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin ended months of speculation about his future and marked his tenure as among the shortest...
Meet Troy Meink
Growing up, Troy Meink wanted to be a pilot, then an astronaut. He joined the Air Force, but his eyesight wasn't up to pilot standards, and the pilot dream was dashed. He began as a navigator, shifted into acquisition and space. He built airplanes in ...
Allvin’s Departure Could Spell End of Major ‘Re-Optimization’ Initiatives
Among the 14 general officers dismissed or retiring early since President Trump took office in January, two appear likely to have long-term institutional impact for the Air Force: the departures of Vice Chief of Staff Gen. James Slife in February and the pending retirement of ...
Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb Has Implications for Golden Dome
Ukraine’s Operation Spiderweb attack on Russian air bases is causing the Pentagon to revise its approach to air and homeland defense.
Editorial: Global Reach, Global Power
“Top Gun: Maverick” captured movie audiences with a plot built around the mission to destroy a fictional country’s uranium enrichment facility hidden deep in a remote mountain range. ... In June, we saw the remake: The Air Force executed the real thing as seven B-2 ...
16 Retired 4-Stars Urge Congress to Fund E-7 and More F-35s
Six former Air Force Chiefs of Staff and seven other retired 4-star generals joined Air & Space Forces Association leadership in calling on Congress to triple the number of F-35A fighters the Air Force buys in fiscal 2026 and to reinstate funding for the E-7 ...
Preparing for a Fight
It’s time to return to disciplined budget preparation and careful strategic investment.
Editorial: Preparing for a Fight
It is a law of survival, if not physics: In war, any advantage wielded by one side will be countered with an opposite, if not equal force, in a continuous back-and-forth until one or the other capitulates. The resultant innovation...
Editorial: Air and Space Dominance
The Trump administration arrived in Washington promising to restore America’s military, reinvigorate deterrence, and bring back its warrior ethos. These are not things that can change overnight, but there is evidence of progress. Topics that were gingerly avoided six months...
WATCH: Going Deeper on the Significance of Space Warfighting
Space superiority emerged as a major theme of the 2025 AFA Warfare Symposium, and retired Space Force Col. Jennifer Reeves, now a senior fellow with the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, goes deeper on the significance of that theme and what it means moving forward ...
WATCH: Taking Stock of Arctic Defense with Houston Cantwell
Air & Space Forces Magazine sat down with retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Houston “Slider” Cantwell, now a senior fellow with the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, at the AFA Warfare Symposium to talk about the his research and panel discussion on Arctic defense and ...
WATCH: Examining the State of Air Force Readiness
Retired Air Force Col. John “JV” Venable, a former F-16 pilot and a senior fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, visited with Air & Space Forces Magazine at the AFA Warfare Symposium to talk about the state of readiness across the Air Force, ...
WATCH: Space Superiority Take Center Stage at AFA Colorado
Air & Space Forces Magazine sat down with Charles Galbreath, retired Space Force colonel and a senior fellow with the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, at the AFA Warfare Symposium to talk about Chief of Space Operations Gen. B. Chance Saltzman’s message to Guardians and ...
WATCH: Breaking Down ‘Fighter Drones’ and More with Heather Penney
AURORA, Colo.—Air & Space Forces Magazine caught up with Heather Penney, former F-16 pilot and now a senior fellow with the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, at the AFA Warfare Symposium to break down the biggest developments from Air Force...
