APRIL 17, 2026 - The Air Force’s Experimental Operations Unit, under Air Combat Command, concluded a critical exercise with Collaborative Combat Aircraft recently at Edwards Air Force Base, California, putting principles of the new Warfighting Acquisition System into practice. The exercise employed the YFQ-44A aircraft and represents a shift toward the new concept of earlier, … [Read more...]

APRIL 17, 2026 - The Air Force and Space Force achieved annual recruiting goals five months ahead of schedule, contracting 32,000 new active-duty Airmen and Guardians needed for the fiscal year. To date, both services have sent nearly 25,000 active-duty recruits to basic military training, while the remaining personnel are scheduled to begin training by Sept. 30. This … [Read more...]

APRIL 16, 2026 - Before a single aircraft lifts off the runway at Edwards Air Force Base, engineers must complete a mountain of documentation. Test plans, hazard analyses, evaluation frameworks, and technical reports are all part of the process that ensures flight tests are conducted safely and produce meaningful results. Drafting those documents can take hours, days, and … [Read more...]

APRIL 15, 2026 - The B-21 Raider program continues to accelerate the delivery of long-range strike capability, with aerial refueling via a KC-135 Stratotanker demonstrating the rapid maturation of the weapon system. The program’s progress exemplifies the principles of the Department of the Air Force's transformed acquisition approach, which is focused on delivering integrated … [Read more...]

APRIL 14, 2026 - U.S. and Chilean Air Force (FACh) crews demonstrated advanced interoperability April 4, executing the first-ever Chilean KC-135 Stratotanker air-to-air refueling of two U.S. F-35A Lightning II aircraft — marking a significant step forward in bilateral airpower integration. The mission, conducted en route to Feria Internacional del Aire y del Espacio 2026, … [Read more...]