All United States Air Force articles
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News’In-flight malfunction’ caused F-35 crash during Alaska training flight: USAF
Dramatic video has emerged of a catastrophic F-35 crash at Eielson AFB in Alaska.
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NewsUS Air Force expands funding for sixth-generation engine development
Despite uncertainty over the future of its sixth-generation fighter development programme, the US Air Force is committing fresh funding toward a separate effort to develop a propulsion solution for “future air dominance platforms”.
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NewsLockheed delivers final MC-130J to US Air Force
Aircraft number 5994 arrived at Kirtland AFB on 14 January after rolling off Lockheed Martin’s production line in Marietta, Georgia, in 2024.
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NewsLockheed to upgrade F-22 fleet with infrared threat-detection sensors
The latest version of Lockheed’s Tactical Infrared Search and Track system will provide passive threat detection capability to the stealthy F-22 air superiority fighter, in a low-observable configuration rather than a pod.
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NewsBoeing receives 737 fuselage for first US Air Force E-7A Wedgetail
The 737 fuselage made by Spirit AeroSystems was delivered to Boeing’s factory in Renton, Washington on 22 January, where it will be assembled into the first prototype of the US Air Force’s E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control jet.
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NewsUSAF F-15Es with advanced electronic warfare systems arrive at UK base
BAE Systems says its Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) provides the fourth-generation F-15 ability to penetrate and manoeuvre into battle spaces protected by modern integrated air-defence systems.
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In depthAnduril selects Ohio for company’s first large-scale production site dedicated to autonomous weapons
Located at Rickenbacker International airport near Columbus, Anduril’s “Arsenal-1” facility will be the company’s first attempt at reaching what it calls “hyper-scale” production capacity of delivering tens of thousands of autonomous weapon systems annually.
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NewsUS Air Force delays T-7A trainer production decision until 2026
The service has delayed approving low-rate initial production for the new Boeing single-engined trainer jet until 2026, but also plans to purchase four more test aircraft in 2025.
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NewsWatch cockpit footage from military aircraft battling California wildfires
In addition to the array of civil firefighting aircraft operating on the frontline of the historic wildfires in the Los Angeles area, military aircraft equipped with firefighting systems have also been deployed to support the effort.
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NewsPentagon to outfit F-15s with long-range missile seen as critical for Indo-Pacific conflict
The Pentagon plans to launch a test campaign to integrate Lockheed Martin’s Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile with the US Air Force’s land-based F-15E and F-15EX strike fighters, after previously cancelling a similar effort for the service’s B-52 bombers.
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NewsUS Air Force winds down HH-60G Pave Hawk operations
The service logged its final active service flight with the venerable Sikorsky combat search and rescue helicopter, as deliveries of the new HH-60W Jolly Green II Combat Rescue Helicopter ramp up.
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NewsUS Air Force approves full production of F-15 electronic countermeasures system
The $615 million contract will move the BAE Systems Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System into full-rate production, equipping the US Air Force’s Boeing F-15Es and F-15EXs with the latest electronic warfare countermeasures system.
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In depthUS Air Force tests MQ-9 operations from austere runways
While the multi-role General Atomics uncrewed aircraft typically requires a paved runway for take-off and landing, recent US Air Force exercises demonstrated the MQ-9’s ability to operate from a dirt landing strip.
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NewsUSAF to re-open competition for Next-Generation Ejection Seat fleet modernisation
The US Air Force (USAF) is re-evaluating its procurement strategy for installing replacement ejection seats across multiple combat aircraft types, with a pending new request for proposals “to allow additional companies to compete for the contract”.
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NewsPentagon orders fleetwide inspection of Osprey proprotor gearboxes after latest safety incident
More than a year after a fatal V-22 crash killed eight US Air Force personnel, a recent “near-crash” has prompted the Pentagon to order fleet-wide inspections of a problematic component, while plans for a long-term mechanical fix remain uncertain.
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NewsUS Air Force flies last T-7A test aircraft ahead of low-rate initial production decision
The fifth example of the Boeing T-7A Red Hawk jet trainer took off from Boeing’s fighter delivery centre at St. Louis Lambert International airport on a customer acceptance flight, with the commander of the US Air Force’s 416th Test Squadron at the controls.
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NewsRolls-Royce completes critical design review for new B-52J engine
Engine maker Rolls-Royce says its new F130 turbofan successfully cleared critical design review, a key programmatic step in the effort to modernise the US Air Force’s iconic B-52 long-range bombers with new propulsion and improved onboard systems.
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NewsCongress orders review of US air-to-air missile inventory needs
A provision in the draft legislation covering 2025 Pentagon operations would require the US Air Force and US Navy to assess their inventory requirements for air-to-air missiles, including possible extension of AIM-120 AMRAAM production beyond 2028.
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NewsLawmakers move to cut US F-35 purchases over ‘long-standing’ sustainment issues
A provision in wide-ranging defence legislation covering Pentagon operations for 2025 would limit new acquisitions of the Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter to 48 examples until concerns about availability rates and aircraft sustainment are addressed.
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NewsPentagon again grounds Osprey fleet after recent ‘near-crash’
The US miltiary’s fleet of Bell-Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotors are grounded for the second time this year after what the Pentagon describes as a “near-crash” in November.