U.S. Air Force

The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force has announced that it will celebrate its 100th anniversary with a series of special events and exhibits throughout 2023. Among the plans are special exhibits on enlisted forces, search and rescue (SAR) and the evolution of the museum itself. Other scheduled events include monthly gallery features, micro-drone […]

The U.S. Air Force has grounded its fleet of B-2 Spirit nuclear bombers following an incident that resulted in a B-2 making an emergency landing on Dec. 10. The aircraft was damaged on the runway at Missouri’s Whiteman Air Force Base and caught fire after landing. No injuries were reported and the accident investigation is […]

World War II triple ace Clarence E. “Bud” Anderson received an honorary promotion to the rank of brigadier general during a ceremony at the Aerospace Museum of California last Friday. Anderson flew 116 combat missions during WWII and is credited with shooting down 16 ¼ enemy aircraft. He joined the U.S. Army in 1942 and […]

The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV) set a new endurance record on Saturday, landing at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center after spending 908 days in orbit. The uncrewed flight was the sixth for the Boeing-built vehicle, which has now traveled over 1.3 billion miles and logged 3,774 days in space. According to Boeing, the mission hosted […]

The U.S. Air Force has declared that the Sikorsky HH-60W Jolly Green II combat rescue helicopter has reached initial operational capability (IOC). According to the Air Force, the announcement means it now “possesses sufficient HH-60Ws, logistics requirements and trained Airmen to support a 30-day deployment to any independent location with a package of four aircraft.” […]

Embraer and L3 Harris Technologies have formed a partnership to develop an “agile tanker” tactical aerial refueling option designed to meet U.S. Air Force operational requirements. The agreement signed by the companies covers expanding the capabilities of Embraer’s KC-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft to accomplish that goal. Upgrades are expected to include an advanced boom and […]

Bombardier’s Defense division has delivered a modified Global 6000 aircraft to the U.S. Air Force’s Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) program. The aircraft is the first of an order for up to six special-mission-configured Global 6000s placed by the Air Force in June 2021. To date, options for two additional aircraft have been confirmed with […]

Boeing and Leonardo have delivered the first four MH-139A Grey Wolf twin-engine helicopters to the U.S. Air Force. The four test aircraft are part of a $2.4 billion contract awarded to Boeing in September 2018 for up to 80 helicopters, training systems and associated support equipment. The aircraft are intended to replace the Air Force’s […]

Boeing has begun modifying the first two U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles with the Eagle Passive Active Warning and Survivability System (EPAWSS). Designed to provide “fully integrated radar warning, situational awareness, geolocation, and self-protection capabilities,” the electronic warfare system is also equipped on the new F-15EX Eagle II. A total of 43 F-15Es are […]

Saab has delivered the last of five T-7A Red Hawk aft fuselages to be used for engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) aircraft from its facility in Linköping, Sweden, to Boeing’s production site in St. Louis, Missouri. The aircraft are part of a $9.2 billion contract for 351 T-7A advanced trainers, 46 simulators and support awarded […]