The Air Force's fiscal 2022 budget request for munitions cuts deeply into production of staples like the Joint Direct Attack Munition bomb and Hellfire missile. The service, however, promises its stockpiles are adequate and that it needs to invest in new munitions that are better ...
The Air Force did not request to buy any new MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters in its fiscal 2022 budget, and fielding will be delayed as the service waits to receive Federal Aviation Administration certification. The Air Force bought eight of the new helicopters in 2021, ...
The Air Force didn’t effectively oversee the development of the KC-46’s refueling boom, leading to additional delays and costs and a lingering deficiency that prevents the tanker from refueling some USAF aircraft, according to a new Pentagon watchdog report. The Defense Department Inspector General, in ...
Air Force Magazine on May 25 flew aboard a KC-46 during a refueling flight as part of Air Mobility Command’s major exercise Mobility Guardian 2021 in Michigan, the first time an independent media outlet has flown on the new tanker. The KC-46 from McConnell Air ...
Two Active-duty U.S. Air Force pilots ejected from an F-15QA fighter at MidAmerica airport near St. Louis after the jet departed the runway May 18, the service said. Both pilots received minor injuries. The cause of the accident is under investigation, but the Air Force ...
Boeing reported its sixth straight loss in its first-quarter earnings report April 28, including a new charge on the Air Force One replacement program. However, Boeing Defense saw increased revenue, spurred largely by new KC-46, P-8, and V-22 contract awards. Company CEO David L. Calhoun ...
Boeing has only delivered two KC-46 tankers to the Air Force so far in 2021, despite USAF officials saying they expect that total per month, as the service has slowed the delivery pace of the aircraft. Though there are more aircraft ready at Boeing’s facilities, ...
Boeing announced April 1 it has delivered the first upgraded cryptography units to the Air Force to improve launch code security for the service’s intercontinental ballistic missiles. The upgraded units improve encryption for the codes, along with improving security by eliminating the need for in-person ...
The first F-15EX landed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., March 11, a day after the Air Force officially took delivery of the jet. Air Combat Command boss Gen. Mark D. Kelly will deliver the second airplane to Eglin the week of April 6.
The Air Force’s “Golden Horde” weapon swarming project overcame its earlier technical difficulties in a second flight test last month, the service said March 5. The Feb. 19 event featured four Small Diameter Bombs equipped with systems that let them work as a team, two ...
The head of Pacific Air Forces is calling for new aircraft in his theater to meet the need for air superiority, including a quick short-term replacement for aging airborne warning and control aircraft and, in the future, the service’s next generation fighter. PACAF boss Gen. ...
The Air Force’s next generation tanker is starting to go operational, but in a very limited way, with the goal of freeing up older planes for combat missions. Air Mobility Command announced Feb. 24 it is phasing the KC-46 into operations, by making it available ...