All articles tagged with #air force
A civilian-contracted plane crashed near the Cape Newenham radar site in Alaska, killing all eight people on board. The aircraft, traveling from Anchorage to Cape Newenham, went down in a remote area and rescuers confirmed there were no survivors. An investigation is underway as officials express condolences and stress ongoing support for the families and response teams.
A U.S. Air Force C-17 en route to Antarctica diverted back to Christchurch after New Zealand issued a NOTAM warning of potentially hazardous Russian space activity and a planned missile launch in the region, an alert issued during the Winter Fly-In prior to the Deep Freeze support season.
The Pentagon revoked former Air Force secretary Frank Kendall’s security clearance, accusing him of disclosing classified information about Air Force One to the media; Kendall says he did not disclose anything and is considering legal options as the Defense Department tightens its leaks investigations.
The Pentagon will rename Joint Base Charleston to Joint Base Lindsey Graham after late Senator Lindsey Graham, with the Air Force secretary directing the process. The tribute reflects his decades of military service and advocacy for the base, which has secured hundreds of millions in federal funding, including Coast Guard upgrades. While praised by Graham’s allies, some local officials say the change should involve more input and suggest alternative tributes to honor Charleston’s military heritage.
A former Air Force secretary questions the security readiness of Trump’s Qatar-donated Air Force One after he used it to attend a NATO summit, noting missing standard protections and secure communications. Insiders have warned the jet lacks key mission features (such as secure comms and defenses), prompting reports that Trump swapped back to the old VC-25A on the return flight. The White House insists the new aircraft is secure, but the situation has sparked safety concerns amid Iran tensions and ongoing jet delays.
Washington, D.C. hosted a nine-hour Independence Day air show as part of America 250 celebrations, featuring more than 30 flyovers by military aircraft including the Blue Angels; the spectacle, capped by a fireworks display and remarks by President Trump, drew mixed reactions from locals amid triple‑digit heat.
A retired U.S. general, Charles Q. Brown Jr., co-authored a Foreign Affairs essay criticizing the politicization of the military, arguing presidents should not deploy troops for politically contentious domestic tasks. The piece notes Trump’s use of the National Guard in blue cities and a broader purge of top generals, including scrutiny of Mark Milley’s actions, as part of Pete Hegseth’s push to reshape the military. Brown—who was nominated by Trump as Air Force chief and later fired in early 2025—is quoted warning that politicized military power risks degrading the force’s primary mission, amid ongoing tensions between civilian leadership and military leadership.
U.S. Air Force Maj. Jason Watson was arrested on the House steps for a solo protest calling for impeachment and removal of President Trump and Vice President JD Vance, after standing with a sign reading “Impeach Convict Remove.” He was charged with 22-1307 Crowding, Obstructing and Incommoding for not heeding officers’ orders; the protest was organized with Rep. Al Green and the Removal Coalition. Watson, on leave from his Poland-based duty, is the first active-duty commissioned officer to publicly advocate impeachment. The Air Force noted service members are prohibited from partisan political activity in uniform, and Watson is not being held; a defense fund has raised around $70,000.}
Trump’s Qatar-gifted Air Force One is unveiled with luxe touches, including a bookshelf of fake books labeled 'Library', triggering online ridicule and questions about the jet’s cost and the ethics of the gift as officials head to North Dakota; the plane is planned to be displayed at the Trump Presidential Library in the future.
Britain's long-awaited Defence Investment Plan pledges £298bn over the next four years—£15bn more than previously and the biggest uplift since the Cold War—yet critics say it underfunds defence at about 2.7% of GDP by 2030 (NATO target 3%). The plan pivots toward cheaper, autonomous systems and drones, with £63bn for the nuclear deterrent, £8bn for a UK-led next-generation RAF stealth aircraft, and a push to hybrid crews. It also funds replenishing Ukraine aid (£11bn), air/missile defence (£790m), and protection of undersea cables (£330m). The Army grows to ~76,000; some programmes are cut (e.g., Type 83 destroyers, Storm Shadow replacement), and expansion of Cadets is delayed.
After more than 200 flu cases at Lackland Air Force Base, the Air Force has reinstated a flu vaccination requirement for basic training recruits, reversing Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s earlier scrapping of the mandate; as of June 19 there were 222 cases (four hospitalizations). Exemptions had been allowed, and medical teams are isolating and treating the sick, with the goal of vaccinating all incoming recruits to safeguard readiness.
Anduril Industries has won the U.S. Air Force's production contract for the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, delivering the FQ-44 semi-autonomous fighter from its Arsenal-1 line at up to 150 aircraft per year with open hardware/software to enable rapid upgrades; the deal marks the first semi-autonomous fighter entering serial production and accelerates a path to scalable, affordable airpower by the end of the decade.
The U.S. Air Force selected General Atomics and Anduril to build the first Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), with autonomy software developed by RTX, Shield AI, and Collins Aerospace. The program targets 150+ drones by the end of the decade, with a goal of roughly $30 million per unit, and FY27 funding to start the first production lots. Development will proceed in increments, including a parallel software competition leading to a final vendor decision in 2027, while production lines begin scaling to field capabilities.
Two Ukrainian Air Force crew members were killed when a Sukhoi Su-24 bomber crashed during a mission in Khmelnytskyi Oblast. The pilots—Major Bohdan Hryhorovych Zaharulko and Senior Lieutenant Bohdan Oleksandrovych Babenko—died at the site as rescuers and investigators work to determine the cause; no civilians were reported injured.
A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress crashed shortly after takeoff at Edwards Air Force Base in California, killing all eight crew members. Emergency responders arrived quickly, the airfield was closed, and the incident is under investigation; military leaders offered heartfelt condolences to the families.