The Air Force is spearheading development of the Defense Department’s first hypersonic cruise missile. The service on April 27 reached out to industry to seek input on a “solid rocket-boosted, air-breathing, hypersonic, conventional cruise missile” that can be launched from existing fighters and bombers. Air ...
Air Force Global Strike Command will regularly rotate a small number of bombers to the Pacific and Middle East theaters to maintain a regular deterrence presence and to conduct combat operations as needed, but it will no longer operate out of bases such as al-Udeid ...
The Air Force is extending its feasibility study into the use of privately owned aerial refueling tankers after an initial report determined further research is needed to understand legal and financial challenges. Last week, the Air Force delivered a Commercial Air Refueling Report to the ...
Once the Raytheon AGM-181 Long-Range Standoff missile is operational, Lockheed Martin may play a role in upgrading its sensors or contributing other expertise even though the company was passed over to build the weapon, the Air Force said. The decision to focus on Raytheon for ...
More than a year ahead of schedule, the Air Force has picked Raytheon Technologies' version of the stealthy, nuclear Long-Range Standoff Missile to continue in development, ending Lockheed Martin's involvement in the program. While not a contract award, the move allows USAF to shift some ...
The Air Force announced April 17 it will no longer base strategic bombers outside of the continental United States, marking an end to the service's 16-year continuous bomber presence at Andersen Air Force Base, Guam. But before the last bomber left the island, USAF reminded ...
The Air Force expects that the 17 B-1B bombers it's asked to retire will be the last until the type "shakes hands" with its replacement, the B-21, early in the 2030s, Lt. Gen. David Nahom, USAF's top planner, said April 16. The B-1 will get ...
The impact of the new coronavirus outbreak has been mixed for USAF flying units, with many close to the fight maintaining a high operations tempo, while training at home takes a major hit that could have lasting impacts to readiness. However, the service has faced ...
A new-design aircraft to fill the arsenal plane concept is in the offing at Air Force Global Strike Command, according to its commander, Gen. Tim Ray. In a press telecon, he discussed the concept, along with USAF's preferred air-launched hypersonic missile, recovery in the B-1 ...
“The adversary isn't going to take a knee if we take our time,” says Angelella. “That's why it's so important to go fast and stay ahead.”
Air Mobility Command is pursuing a contract for privately operated tankers to meet the unrelenting need for booms in the air as the service proposes cutting 29 KC-135s and KC-10s. The command is wrapping up a feasibility study on the plan this month with the ...
The Air Force’s depot maintenance activities continue unabated during the COVID-19 crisis, but Air Force Materiel Command is staying alert for supply chain issues that could affect throughput. “To date, no mission requirements have been impacted, and aircraft are still being inducted into the depots,” ...