Vanessa Montalbano

The incoming presidential administration should reconsider where it spends money and prioritize strategic locations for a fight with China rather than maintaining legacy installations that don't currently present a challenge, outgoing service Secretary Frank Kendall said today. “We need to rethink our posture,” Kendall, who is exiting his role on Jan. 20, said during an event hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “All the places we are like having us there -- they love having us there...

The Air Force will debut its large-scale multicombatant command REFORPAC exercise this summer in the Indo-Pacific with minimal limitations even if Congress isn't able to approve the fiscal year 2025 budget by March. But the longer the ongoing continuing resolution continues, “the more potential issues could occur,” an Air Force spokesperson told Inside Defense. “The Department of the Air Force Level Exercise (DLE) is a collection of exercises that includes REFORPAC,” the spokesperson said in an email today. “DLE...

The Air Force is again shifting its development and procurement plans for the T-7A Red Hawk training jet by pushing a critical milestone back one year and offering a ceiling of $250 million to address long-standing delivery delays and a need for updated capabilities, outgoing service acquisition head Andrew Hunter told Inside Defense today. Under the new approach, the Air Force would purchase four new production representative test vehicles -- to be delivered in fiscal year 2026...

As the Air Force surveys proposals of priority efforts eligible to receive early funding without a congressionally approved budget, outgoing service acquisition boss Andrew Hunter said in an interview yesterday he is "really excited to leverage it in our approach to tanker modernization." The service’s fleet of airborne refuelers -- which are typically larger, less maneuverable and lack sophisticated connectivity or other defenses despite often operating near combat environments -- are becoming increasingly vulnerable against the kinds of threats...

President-elect Trump today announced his intention to nominate Troy Meink, who currently serves as the principal deputy director for the National Reconnaissance Office, to be the next Air Force secretary.

Space Development Agency Director Derek Tournear has been placed on "investigative administrative leave" pending the results of an investigation, an Air Force spokesperson said today.

More than a decade after the fiscal year 2013 sequestration, the Air Force's foundational accounts are still recovering from negative impacts to readiness, modernization and operations and maintenance. One of the largest lingering challenges to date? Aircraft availability, Air Force acquisition head Andrew Hunter told Inside Defense in an exit interview this week. “We have real aircraft availability challenges,” Hunter said at the Pentagon Wednesday. “I don’t like the trend line.” The 2013 sequestration spanned about eight years and slashed...

President Trump on Jan. 17 announced he would nominate former Space Force Lt. Col. Matthew Lohmeier to be the next Air Force under secretary.

The Air Force has begun questioning industry about existing and maturing advanced propulsion capabilities to support future aircraft requirements, according to two recently released requests for information. “The agency is considering the inclusion of on and off ramping of vendors to enable the Air Force to rapidly compete and award delivery orders or task orders to emerging and advanced propulsion technologies, materials, components and capabilities for all types of propulsion systems,” a Jan. 21 Air Force Materiel Command sources-sought notice...

The Air Force awarded Lockheed Martin a $270 million contract to enable the F-22 Raptor with next generation infrared threat detection sensors, according to a company news release issued today.