Air Warfare

SOFIC

Hybrid power could keep the Little Bird helo flying

A small, yet nimble and heavily used light-attack helicopter that carries small teams of special operators into battle has a problem.

As Air Force plans for new aircraft, senators worry about capability gaps

Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., worried the Air Force could find itself without enough aircraft to conduct battlefield management or rescue downed personnel.

Successful test could rally Air Force hypersonics program

The test off the coast of Southern California broke a streak of three testing failures last year, that led Congress to nix procurement funds in 2022.

Prize money is on the line as US Air Force launches high-tech training competition

The winners of the second annual iChallenge competition will be announced in San Antonio, Texas, on May 24.

Modern Day Marine

New aviation tech changes Marine Corps’ mentality for future fight

Big platforms are not the Marine Corps' future.

Here’s how Marine air power will shift with the Corps’ 2022 aviation plan

It's the Corps’ first publicly released aviation plan since 2019.

Inside the US Air Force’s race to fund future fighters, bombers and autonomous drones before the next crisis

To prepare for far more contested airspace, the U.S. Air Force is laying the groundwork for a series of radical transformations in how it approaches air combat that could cost at least tens of billions of dollars over the next two decades.

See the weapons at Russia’s Victory Day parade rehearsal

Victory Day is a rare event in the nation’s divisive post-Soviet history that is revered by all political players, and the Kremlin has used that sentiment to encourage patriotic pride and underline Russia’s role as a global power.

Vermont F-35s to fly Europe air policing missions

The Vermont aircraft are replacing F-35s from Hill Air Force Base in Utah that arrived in Europe in February, just before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Georgia lawmakers fight plan to close military pilot training center

President Joe Biden’s proposed budget for fiscal 2023 would eliminate funding for the Air Dominance Center at the Savannah Air National Guard Base.

Air Force destroys target vessel with ship-killing JDAM

The successful test of the maritime JDAM represents a significant step forward in the Air Force's ability to sink a ship, at a time when concerns are growing about the possibility of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

In first, Australian tanker refuels Japanese jet midair

Photos released by the Australian and Japanese air forces from the flight tests showed F-2s carrying up to four surrogate Type 93 anti-ship missiles and AAM-3 air-to-air missiles.

Colombia chooses South Korea’s TA-50, FA-50 as next jet trainers, officials say

Colombia is buying new aircraft to replace its Cessna A-37B Dragonfly twin-engine, light-attack jets, which were retired in June 2021.

T-7 Red Hawk trainer makes its debut

The ceremony included multiple tributes to the pioneering Tuskegee Airmen of World War II, for whom the T-7 is named, and was attended by a surviving member and another pilot's children.

Brazil orders more Gripen jets, mulls another large buy

A second large order of the Gripen is needed to achieve a minimum fleet of 70 new fighter jets, down from the original target of 100 aircraft under the F-X program.

Future NGAD fighter jets could cost ‘hundreds of millions’ apiece

This would be more than twice the F-35′s price tag of at least $80 million apiece.

A-10 official issues warning over US Air Force’s ‘devastated’ Warthog fleet

The A-10 systems manager said the Air Force has “resourced the A-10 to divest yet flew it like an enduring fleet, rapidly accelerating [the] decline toward today’s hollowing fleet."

Boeing CEO regrets Air Force One deal amid big quarterly losses

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun said the Air Force One deal was “a very unique moment, a very unique negotiation, a very unique set of risks that Boeing probably shouldn’t have taken. But we are where we are."

It’s the Wedgetail: Air Force to buy E-7 to replace AWACS

Boeing's Wedgetail, now flown by the Royal Australian Air Force, has long been seen as the top contender for the job.

See the weapons on display during North Korea’s latest parade

One of the weapons showcased at the brightly illuminated Kim Il Sung Square was North Korea’s biggest and newest ICBM, the Hwasong-17.

One-third of F-35s could be delivered before operational testing is complete

Much of the increase in costs of the F-35's Block 4 modernization effort was because the Technology Refresh 3 effort has proven to be more complicated than expected, GAO said.

Commentary

Israel has a KC-46 problem. Here’s the solution.

The U.S. and Israel urgently need to replace their aging aerial refueling fleets with the modernized KC-46A. The problem is the aircraft has been plagued by development challenges and delays.

Lincoln Carrier Strike Group teams up with Japanese navy in Philippine, East China seas

The carrier strike group teamed up with Japanese destroyers Inazuma and Kongo to complete air warfare training and other exercises.

US Air Force, Boeing lock down design for KC-46 vision system upgrade

The months-overdue agreement sets a path forward for resolving one of the most significant, lingering problems with the Air Force’s newest refueling tanker.

Arrival of final 2 F-35s completes complement at Alaska base

The final two F-35A Joint Strike Fighter jets have arrived at Eielson Air Force Base near Fairbanks.