What’s the best unmanned sensor aircraft available today to support the warfighter on the ground? “It’s a thing called information,” said Air Force Brig. Gen. Charles Shugg, commander of the Joint Unmanned Aircraft Systems Center of Excellence at Creech AFB, Nev., April 1. Speaking at the Institute for Defense and Government Advancement’s Sensor-to-Shooter conference in Arlington, Va., Shugg said the feedback he has gotten from the guys in the fight indicates that it really doesn’t matter what the platform is as long as the warfighters have access to the information they need when they need it. In some cases, this may even mean that intelligence data is still relevant when it is hours or days old, thus obviating the need to dispatch a UAV anew to gather more info, he said.
Air Force Changes Rules for Pregnant Aircrew—Again
April 3, 2025
The Air Force is changing its policy for pregnant aircrew, generally reverting to rules set in 2019 that barred female aviators from flying during the first trimester—or from flying in aircraft with ejection seats at all—due to potential risks to the pilot and her unborn fetus.