The US Air Force has announced the acquisition of two additional Boeing 747-8 aircraft for approximately $400 million. The purchase supports training and sustainment for the future presidential airlift fleet as delays continue to push back delivery of the next-generation Air Force One aircraft.
Ursa Major unveiled its new hypersonic missile system, dubbed HAVOC, at the AFA Warfare Symposium. The company plans to manufacture the system mostly in-house, with a target price tag of under $3 million per piece.
The US Space Force is prioritizing orbital warfare training under Gen. Gregory Gagnon's command.
Breaking Defense reports that senior Space Force officers are optimistic about a large budget increase starting in fiscal 2027. Gen.
The NDAA gives the Pentagon's counter-drone task force extraordinary authority over acquisition programs across the armed forces. The task force can set technical standards, run field tests, and block acquisitions if a system doesn't meet its requirements.
Lockheed Martin has successfully demonstrated control of an uncrewed aerial system (UAS) from the cockpit of an F-22 Raptor during a flight from Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas. According to AeroTime, the test marks a significant step toward future air-combat concepts built around human-machine coordination.
Breaking Defense reports that the Air Force has made significant progress in its drone wingman program, with first flights completed for prototype drones. The Collaborative Combat Aircraft program aims to develop unmanned systems capable of augmenting military forces.
Breaking Defense reports that Maj. Gen.
The US House voted to end the longest government shutdown in history, passing a stopgap funding bill that includes nearly $200 million for the Air Force's E-7 Wedgetail program. The legislation also provides roughly $1.
The recently passed fiscal 2026 defense policy bill includes language directing the Secretary of the Air Force to bolster the acquisition workforce. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) instructs Troy Meink to ensure a comparable level of trained Guardians in acquisition billets, following pressure from lawmakers about the need for a stronger acquisition corps led by House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers and Ranking Member Adam Smith.
The Air Force is poised to finalize a major reorganization of its weapons procurement structure by year's end, consolidating Program Executive Offices under new Program Executive Offices for Acquisition (PEAs) to centralize decision-making authority. Air Force Lifecycle Management Center Executive Director Dennis D'Angelo revealed at the Alamo ACE conference that the restructuring aims to accelerate resource allocation and strategic responsiveness.
The Air Force has conducted an experiment where AI tools outperformed human planners in a battle management scenario. The results suggest that AI can generate more effective courses of action in less time than humans, but with caveats.
The Air Force is rethinking its cyber strategy in response to the growing threat of contested networks. According to Breaking Defense, the service is focusing on Zero Trust and network resilience, as well as exploring offensive cyber operations and acquisition reform.
The Air Force has announced it is largely abandoning the Biden administration's 'Reoptimizing for Great Power Competition' initiative, terminating major organizational reforms while retaining select modernization efforts. Under new leadership, the service is scaling back sweeping structural changes including the proposed Airman Development Command and Integrated Capabilities Command, though it will maintain investments in cyber workforce development and large-scale training exercises.