GenAI.mil, the Pentagon’s main generative artificial intelligence platform, has more than 1 million users and access to some of the world’s biggest AI models like ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini. But a handful of startups, including one founded by an Air Force veteran, say there’s room for more military-focused AI tools too.
The post Military-Specific AI Tools Aim to Ease Admin Workload appeared…
The U.S. military launched “self-defense” airstrikes against Iran on June 9 in response to the downing of a U.S. Army AH-64 Apache attack helicopter, which President Donald Trump said was shot down by Iran.
The post US Launches Strikes on Iran in Retaliation for Downed Apache Helicopter appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
As L3Harris proves its OA-1K Skyraider II special operations aircraft can carry a signals intelligence sensor and electronic attack weapon, a key congressional committee is poised to boost production of the converted Air Tractor prop plane.
The post AFSOC’s Skyraider Demos New Sensors, Gains Favor in Congress appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
Air Force leaders expect all six KC-135 Stratotankers that were damaged but not destroyed as part of Operation Epic Fury will eventually be repaired and returned to service. Some of those damaged KC-135s are already flying again, Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth Wilsbach, said, but the most heavily damaged could take a year or two to be fully repaired.
The post Wilsbach: KC-135s Damaged in…
The Space Force announced contract awards to Intelsat General and Viasat to begin building a constellation of satellites in geosynchronous orbit for protected, secure communications.
The post Space Force Picks Intelsat, Viasat for Protected SATCOM Program appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The Pentagon fulfilled Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's promise to slash the number of Religious Affiliation Codes used by the military to track the volume of members adhering to different religions and to shape the chaplain corps to support them. The change reduces the number of religions counted for such purposes from more than 200 to just 31.
The post From 200-Plus to 31: How the Pentagon Cut…
The Air Force Research Laboratory installed its newest commander, Brig. Gen. Douglas Wickert, in a June 3 ceremony at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. Wickert most recently served as director of air, space, and cyber operations at Air Force Materiel Command, and before that, he led the 412th Test Wing at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. An F-16 pilot earlier in his career, he spent several…
The Boeing 747-8 gifted to the United States by Qatar to be used as a “bridge” Air Force One has been painted and is now undergoing its final modifications by the government, the Air Force said June 8.
The post Qatar-Gifted ‘Bridge’ Air Force One Painted, Final Modifications Underway appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The White House has nominated a half-dozen Air Force general officers for three-star jobs, including new leaders for Air Forces Central in the Middle East, the Air Force Reserve, and one of the service’s top acquisition organizations.
The post New 3-Star Nominees: AFCENT Commander, Reserve Chief, and More appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The Air Force has embraced new technical approaches like open mission systems and rapid software updates for cutting-edge aircraft like the B-21 and Collaborative Combat Aircraft. Increasingly, though, the service is also working to apply these to its older, “legacy” aircraft, officials said this week.
The post Air Force Eyes Faster Software Updates for More Aircraft appeared first on Air &…
The Air Force and Space Force are seeking to add more than 6,000 civilian personnel to their ranks in fiscal 2027, a sharp reversal from a year ago when they were looking to slash around 5,700 positions as part of the Trump administration’s push to shrink the federal civilian workforce.
The post Air Force, Space Force Seek 6,000 Civilian Hires in Wake of DOGE Cuts appeared first on Air & Space…
Air Education and Training Command has ticked off another box on the long checklist it must complete to start training student pilots on the new T-7A Red Hawk: qualifying its first instructor pilots.
The post AETC Qualifies First T-7 Red Hawk Instructor Pilots appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The House Armed Services Committee on June 4 approved an amendment to a key defense policy bill that would bar the Air Force from retiring E-3 Sentry aircraft through fiscal 2027.
The post Lawmakers Vote to Keep Hold on E-3 Retirements, Grant Military ‘Right to Repair’ appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
House lawmakers want the Space Force to buy more technology and services from commercial companies, evidenced in a handful of amendments approved as part of the House Armed Services Committee’s version of the fiscal 2027 National Defense Authorization Act.
The post Lawmakers Push Space Force to Seek More Commercial Integration appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The Air Force would keep all of its 184 F-22 Raptors until at least the end of fiscal 2032 under an amendment added to the House Armed Services Committee’s version of the National Defense Authorization bill.
The post House Panel Votes to Prohibit F-22 Retirements Through Fiscal 2032 appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
Boeing has completed initial flight testing on its redesigned Remote Vision System for the KC-46 tanker, the defense giant announced June 4. The new system, dubbed RVS 2.0, is meant to replace the original camera and video system boom operators use to refuel other aircraft, which has faced issues for years now.
The post KC-46’s New Remote Vision System Completes Initial ‘Non-Contact’ Testing…
The command center that has run America’s air campaigns in the Middle East for over two decades took a direct hit during the U.S. war with Iran and was severely damaged, a senior U.S. official and other people informed about the attack told Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The post Iran Severely Damaged US Air Ops Center in Qatar Soon After War Began appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The U.S. is reducing the number of forces it is prepared to commit to NATO in a crisis, U.S. European Command said in a June 3 announcement. The changes, which were previewed to alliance members last month by a senior Pentagon official, appear to include a decrease in the number of combat aircraft, air-to-air refueling, and Navy vessels.
The post US Reduces Forces Committed to NATO, Tells Allies…
The Air Force plans to spend $213 million on its CV-22 fleet in fiscal 2027, about one-fifth of a $1.12 billion investment in the tiltrotor aircraft across the Pentagon.
The post Air Force Seeks New Gearboxes for CV-22 in ’27 Budget appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The Air Force has awarded contracts to General Electric Aerospace and Rolls-Royce to further hone their designs for engines that would power medium-thrust autonomous drones.
The post GE, Rolls-Royce Get Contracts to Advance Autonomous Drone Engine Designs appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The Air Force wants about $1 billion to move Collaborative Combat Aircraft into production in fiscal 2027 and accelerate the introduction of this game-changing technology. Congress should support that objective.
The post Now Is the Time to Boost CCA Investment appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The idea to establish a new military service dedicated to cyber warfare reared its head again this week thanks to a proposal in Congress and a think tank report. But essential questions about how a so-called “Cyber Force” would be manned and work with the other services remain.
The post New Push for Separate ‘Cyber Force’ Builds, but Questions Remain appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The Air Force has dubbed its follow-on to the Massive Ordnance Penetrator the GBU-76/B and is seeking contractors to potentially help design, build, and support the next-generation bunker-busting bomb.
The post Air Force Reveals Designation for Next-Gen Bunker Buster, Seeks Sources appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The May 28 explosion of a Blue Origin rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Fla., is the largest the installation has seen in its history, according to the commander of the range. Despite the unprecedented nature of the anomaly, the base’s safety precautions before and after the incident helped contain its impact on personnel and on the broader installation.
The post Blue Origin Rocket…
The Air Force’s primary fighter fleet dipped below the minimum allowable size under law earlier this year—and that fact should rally a “call to action” for the nation to reinvest in its airpower, a key lawmaker said June 2.
The post As Fighter Fleet Shrinks Below Legal Minimum, Pfluger Sounds Alarm appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The U.S. and Iran exchanged fire June 2 in an intense back-and-forth, marking the fifth exchange in just over a week between the two nations.
The post Iran Fires Missiles, Drones After US Strikes Blockade-Busting Ship in Latest Flare-Up appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
Rep. August Pfluger (R-Texas) is introducing legislation to award Maj. Robert “Bob” Alfred Lodge a posthumous Medal of Honor for sacrificing his life May 10, 1972—during the critical bombing campaign in the Vietnam War—to protect fellow members of the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron
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The Space Force wants to make its electronic warfare capabilities more resilient by building five new tactical EW centers, the need for which was underscored by recent Iranian attacks on USSF infrastructure and assets.
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Nearly 4,500 Airmen are set to promote to master sergeant and join the senior noncommissioned officer corps in 2026, the Air Force Personnel Center announced June 1.
The post One in Five Eligible Airmen Promoted to Master Sergeant in 2026 appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.
The Space Force on May 28 awarded a task order to Blue Origin for its first National Security Space Launch mission—the same day the company’s New Glenn rocket exploded on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral Space Force Base, Fla.
The post Space Force Announces Launch Deal with Blue Origin After Rocket Mishap appeared first on Air & Space Forces Magazine.