Air Warfare

“Sorry about the aggressive maneuver,” an airline pilot told passengers after sharply banking to avoid a B-52 over North Dakota. “Not a fun day at work.”

The last Air Force vice chief, Gen. Jim Slife, was fired by President Trump in February without explanation as part of a broader purge of military leaders.

Photographs that leaked online showed extensive damage to the KC-46’s refueling boom, with its metal ripped and twisted and a chain hanging down.

The DOD’s fiscal 2026 budget calls for the Air Force to retire its remaining 162 A-10 attack planes. The Senate’s version would have the service keep 103.

Liberty Lifter was intended to design and build a seaplane with the cargo capacity of a C-17 Globemaster, that could take off and land in rough seas.

The drones served in a “loyal wingman” role to the pilots, marking “a major leap in human-machine teaming,” the Air Force said.

Nearly 20 retired Air Force general officers, including six former chiefs of staff, urged lawmakers to reverse Pentagon plans to cut the E-7 and F-35s.