A U.S. Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed at Spangdahlem Air Base in western Germany on Tuesday afternoon, September 22. The aircraft, assigned to the 480th Fighter Squadron of the 52nd Fighter Wing, crashed at around 2:30 p.m. local time while returning to the base. The pilot ejected from the aircraft and was taken for […]
Aviation24.be•Bart Noëth22 Sept
Pilot ejected before the aircraft impacted the ground at the U.S. Air Force base in Germany.
AVweb•Matt Ryan22 Sept
A 52nd Fighter Wing (FW) pilot ejected and is receiving medical attention after an F-16 Fighting Falcon crashed at Spangdahlem Air Base, the second U.S. F-16 incident in a week. The aircraft, which officials confirmed in a statement as belonging to Spangdahlem’s 52nd Fighter Wing (FW), crashed onto the base’s golf course, which lies under […]
The Aviationist•Kai Greet22 Sept
SUFFOLK, United Kingdom — A U.S. Air Force Boeing KC-135R Stratotanker made an emergency diversion to Royal Air Force (RAF) Mildenhall on Monday morning after declaring an in-flight emergency while cruising over French airspace on Monday Septembre 21, 2026. The military aerial refueling aircraft, operating under callsign MC724 and registration 60-0366, departed from Aviano NATO […]
Retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula on Tuesday said the revelation that the U.S. has deployed weapons into space is in response to a space “arms race” that has “already been underway,” referring to similar efforts by Russia and China. Deptula told NewsNation’s Katie Pavlich on “Katie Pavlich Tonight” that Russia and China…
The Hill•Ryan Mancini16 Sept
Aviation Week reports on a statement by an Air Mobility Command (AMC) spokesperson confirming the USAF’s intent to procure the Boeing 737’s MAX variant for the first time, becoming the type’s first military operator. In 2026, budgetary approval was granted to the U.S. Air Force for a single-aircraft expansion to the service’s fleet of C-40 (Boeing […]
The Aviationist•Kai Greet16 Septviation News – The U.S. Air Force announced plans Monday to deploy at least 500 semi-autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft into service by 2032, pairing low-cost...
U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said Monday that the U.S. has "on-orbit space control weapons," as he outlined a broader push to modernize the Air Force.
Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink announced the popular names for the FQ-42 and FQ-44 Collaborative Combat Aircraft, which will be known as “Vengeance” and “Fury,” respectively. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink formally announced the popular names of the two Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) during his keynote address at the Air & […]
The Aviationist•Stefano D'Urso14 Sept
WASHINGTON — Newly declassified military footage released by the Department of Defense reveals the dramatic 50-hour rescue operation of a U.S. Air Force weapons systems officer who was shot down over hostile Iranian territory, surviving a violent high-speed ejection and two days behind enemy lines. The officer, identified by his call sign “Dude 44 Bravo”, […]
A U.S. Air Force colonel recounted his story of survival after his F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran in April, in the early months of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran. The colonel spoke with “60 Minutes” on CBS News about the incident and was referred to by the outlet as Bravo, his mission…
The Hill•Ryan Mancini14 SeptFirst, U.S. Air Force officer shot down in Iran says it's a "modern-day miracle" he survived. Then, brokers are offering felons a path to Trump pardons — at a steep price with no guarantees. And, McVay, Stafford on Rams culture.
Joint Base Andrews activated the 5th Helicopter Squadron Aug. 27, marking the installation’s first U.S. Air Force helicopter squadron activation in 60 years. The squadron stands up at a time when the base anticipates accepting the HH-60W Jolly Green II to execute Andrews’ 24/7 operations. The 5th HS will do so alongside the 1st Helicopter Squadron,
New drone is designed to carry two LRASMs or four JSMs over long distances as U.S. Air Force seeks an aircraft that can be produced and deployed in large numbers
Air Data News•Ricardo Meier10 Sept
In 2019, Steve Fetter wrote “A Cheaper Nuclear Sponge,” in which he argued that building a new intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was unnecessary for strengthening U.S. land-based deterrence. After several years of changing defense budgets and strategic priorities, we asked Steve to revisit his arguments.Image: U.S. Air Force (John Ingle)In your 2019 article, you argued that building an entirely new ICBM was unnecessary and that the Pentagon could save tens of billions by extending the life of the Minuteman III instead. Nearly seven years on, how has that argument held up? What has the new ballistic missile program’s trajectory looked
War on the Rocks•Steve Fetter9 Sept
The final Jayhawk has departed Vance for Davis-Monthan, closing more than three decades of T-1A operations and bringing an end to the 3rd Flying Training Squadron’s latest chapter. Monday, Aug. 31, 2026, marked the official close of a chapter in U.S. Air Force training history that may never be equaled when it comes to safe […]
The Aviationist•Greg L. Davis31 AugAviation News – Joint Base Andrews activated the 5th Helicopter Squadron on August 27, 2026, marking the installation’s first U.S. Air Force helicopter squadron activation...
A U.S. Air Force C-17 was noted making an unusual journey into Russian airspace on Aug. 25, 2026 shortly before U.S. media outlets broke the story that CIA Director John Ratcliffe was in Moscow for undisclosed talks. The C-17 Globemaster III, flying under Air Mobility Command (AMC) callsign REACH 4555 (four digit callsigns have been […]
The Aviationist•Kai Greet25 AugAviationNews – The United States Air Force has announced its intention to field a more affordable, mass-producible successor to the MQ-9 Reaper drone by 2031....
The Boeing 737-700, formerly operated as N712JM, spent years as a secretive U.S. Air Force flying testbed, and is now becoming NASA’s new reduced-gravity research aircraft with the registration N837NA. NASA has unveiled on Aug. 13, 2026, its newest reduced-gravity research aircraft, which will support the Artemis program to validate astronaut lunar suits and associated […]
The Aviationist•Stefano D'Urso17 Aug