While over 900 F-35s have been produced, the program has technically been stuck in its initial operational testing phase for years over the delayed completion of the trials.
By Michael MarrowModernizing military simulation with open systems architecture
Best-of-breed common models and architecture enable virtual training and testing with the same data in a cyber-resilient posture.
Amid the political clash and a lawmaker’s call for yet another investigation, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall revealed that he and SPACECOM leader Gen. Jim Dickinson also disagreed over where the new HQ should be.
By Theresa Hitchens
“I’d go so far as say if you drive north of the National Cathedral on Connecticut Avenue, that popping sound you hear is not stray gunfire. It is champagne corks at the Chinese embassy bouncing off the walls,” Air Force Gen. Mark Kelly said.
By Michael Marrow
“We’re still hopeful of having first flight this year,” Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said. “If I were to say it will, I would be making a very specific prediction, and I never do that about an acquisition program for something that hasn’t happened yet.”
By Michael Marrow
“What I would say is, be on the lookout [because] there’s going to be a CCA near you… because we’re gonna need them around just about everywhere,” Pacific Air Forces Commander Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach said.
By Michael Marrow
Service officials hope that Congress will back Secretary Frank Kendall’s proposal to allow some new programs to begin early work, even if a continuing resolution is in place.
By Michael Marrow
Department of the Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall’s letter didn’t specify what “broader and more comprehensive” changes officials are examining, though he did note the review is set to conclude by January 2024.
By Michael Marrow
ROC-X – The solution to organic precision strike capabilities
At AUSA Global Force 2024, IAI presented integrated, AI-driven combat systems – both manned and unmanned – that are opening new opportunities on the battlefield.
The Air Force fired another all-up round test of the Lockheed Martin-made ARRW, but like a previous test that a top official later admitted fell short of its goals, the service won’t claim that this test met all its objectives.
By Michael Marrow
“We have 25 fighter squadrons in the Guard right now. And when I look at the global demand, my personal view is I think we need to keep all 25 of those. I think our nation needs that capability,” said National Guard chief Gen. Daniel Hokanson.
By Michael Marrow
Aviation expert Tim Walton said that while such a design could mean strides in fuel efficiency, past iterations have had their limitations.
By Michael Marrow
“Formula One is amazingly complex from an aerodynamic perspective. And in my opinion, it’s more complex than what we do in aviation,” said Will Roper, the Air Force’s former acquisition chief.
By Michael Marrow
“We have a firm grasp on what the requirements are,” said Air Force Brig. Gen. Dale White, program executive officer for fighters and advanced aircraft, concerning the service’s plans to field drones that can join jets in combat.
By Michael Marrow
“[R]ight now with the way we’re funded, we think we can carry both [companies] through prototype, and both are leaning in fully. And so then we’ll let the prototype and test do the evaluation,” Air Force propulsion chief John Sneden said.
By Michael Marrow
Beyond politics, the Air Force Secretary weighed in on key items in the defense budget, citing concerns about potential cuts to NGAD funding and unnecessary bumps to an alternate F-35 engine.
By Michael Marrow
