In the name of economy, the Air Force has sacrificed its capacity to rapidly build munitions in a crisis, said Vice Chief of Staff Gen. Philip Breedlove Friday. He told attendees of AFA’s Global Warfare Symposium in Los Angeles that...

Gen. William Shelton, Air Force Space Command boss, on Thursday gave a frank assessment of the future of the service’s space and cyberspace portfolio: times are tough budget-wise, getting tougher, and don’t expect more help. “There won’t be additional money....

A recent year-long review of the Air Force’s intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance enterprise determined, among its findings, that there isn’t “a very robust or disciplined process” for organizing and pursuing new technologies, said Lt. Gen. Larry James, deputy chief of staff for ISR....

When veteran defense journalist and Pacific defense expert Richard Halloran pondered what path China might take in the future, he came up with four primary scenarios. Aggressive China would have its army march across neighboring borders to impose its will...

The American way of war will have to adapt to anti-access methods rapidly proliferating in China and elsewhere, said RAND analyst Alan Vick Thursday at AFA’s Global Warfare Symposium in Los Angeles. Vick warned that many US military advantages—like space...

Even with the recent death of Osama bin Laden, the United States still is struggling to defeat the al Qaeda terrorist network because the nation is, in many ways, fighting the wrong war, asserted defense consultant Chuck de Caro Thursday...

The Air Force stands at a crossroads and faces "the eventual cessation of key missions" if it must defer, yet once again, acquisition of key systems to replace legacy hardware that has diminishing utility, warned nine retired Air Force senior generals, including former Chief of Staff retired Gen. John Jumper, an ex service historian, and a former USAF chief scientist. "Modern combat operations are simply not feasible without the capabilities afforded by American airmen," wrote this group in its Nov. 14 letter to Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.). The group added: "When viewed in those terms, failing to adequately invest in the Air Force would be the decision that proves 'too expensive' for our nation." The group's letter registers support for Forbes' "Strong Defense, Strong America" initiative (see webpage). Against the backdrop of the looming budget drawdown, Forbes seeks to raise awareness that "further reductions to core national security funding will cause significant harm to United States interests." The group agreed: "The policy and budget decisions made over the next few months will shape the options available to leaders for decades into the future. One thing is certain: America's future security demands that strategic wisdom, not short term opportunism, governs this process."

The commander of the last US division headquarters and organization in Iraq told reporters Thursday that he is pleased with the US military’s drawdown process so far. Army Maj. Gen. Bernard Champoux, commanding general of the US Division Center in...

Although the US military’s withdrawal from Iraq is going according to plan so far, Iraq is still a dangerous place, said Army Gen. Bernard Champoux, commanding general of the last division headquarters under US Forces-Iraq. Speaking to reporters Thursday via...

The Canadian Department of National Defense is expected to sign a memorandum of understanding with the US Defense Department within the next few weeks codifying Canada's participation in the Air Force's Wideband Global Satellite Communications network, reports the Vancouver Sun. The Canadian parliament recently authorized Defense Minister Peter MacKay to invest upwards of $464 million ($477 million Canadian) to secure Canada's place in the program, according to an earlier Vancouver Sun report. Experiences in Afghanistan and Libya have proven the necessity of reliable battlefield communications, according to Canadian defense officials. Already Australia is a partner in the WGS program. Additionally, allies Denmark, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and New Zealand have expressed interest in joining. Already, three WGS spacecraft are operating on orbit. The next satellite in the series, WGS-4, has arrived at Cape Canaveral AFS, Fla., for its scheduled launch on Jan. 19, announced the Air Force Thursday.

The Army on Thursday conducted the first flight test of its Advanced Hypersonic Weapon concept, one of several systems that the Defense Department is demonstrating to mature technology for conventional prompt global strike. The mission was successful, according to a...

Builders completed the 68th and final new residence at RAF Feltwell, England, thereby finishing the six-year, $250 million housing project for families of airmen based at nearby RAF Lakenheath. Builders turned over this residence on Monday—one month ahead of schedule—to...

Airmen from Air Combat Command and Air Force Space Command participated in a first-of-its-kind joint and interagency homeland defense drill earlier this month in Key West, Fla. The Joint Deployable Integrated Air and Missile Defense field training exercise represented the...

Iraqi air traffic controllers are manning the tower at Camp Taji, Iraq, alongside Air Force and Army controllers in preparation for the US handover at year’s end. Since Taji is still under Army control, Iraqi personnel faced a gap of...

The Defense Department has “made some progress” in rebuilding the size and skills of its acquisition workforce, but still needs to identify a better way to “determine the effectiveness of its training ” in order to improve acquisition outcomes, according...

Lt. Col. Tadd Sholtis was the first airman to receive a doctorate degree from one of Air University’s schools at Maxwell AFB, Ala., not the first airman overall to earn a doctorate degree from AU as we reported on Tuesday....