DefenceTalkAfter eight days “at war” the F-35A Lightning II is proving to be an invaluable asset during Red Flag 17-01, the Air Force’s premier air combat exercise held at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada. The F-35A is a fifth-generation, multi-role stealth fighter designed to gather, fuse, and distribute more information than any other fighter in […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35a-proving-its-worth-at-red-flag-combat-exercise-68992/

DefenceTalkUS Secretary of Defense James Mattis has ordered a review of the Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighter program after President Donald Trump assailed its $400 billion price tag, the Pentagon announced Friday. At the same time, Mattis ordered a similar review of the $4 billion cost for developing a new aircraft for the US president, […]https://www.defencetalk.com/pentagon-chief-orders-review-of-f-35-fighter-program-68940/

DefenceTalkThe U.S. Air Force today awarded Boeing $2.1 billion for 15 KC-46A tanker aircraft, spare engines and wing air refueling pod kits. This order is the third low-rate initial production lot for Boeing. The first two came in August 2016 and included seven and 12 planes, respectively, as well as spare parts. Boeing plans to […]https://www.defencetalk.com/boeing-awarded-2-1b-for-third-kc-46a-tanker-production-lot-68938/

DefenceTalkThe 33rd Fighter Wing loaded and released the Air Education and Training Command’s first live bombs from an F-35A here, January 17. In total, six aircraft were loaded with armed GBU-12s, and two bombs were released over the Eglin Air Force Base range. The GBU-12 is a 500-pound laser guided general-purpose bomb. The F-35 can […]https://www.defencetalk.com/f-35a-training-aircraft-drop-gbu-12-bombs-for-the-first-time-68869/

DefenceTalkWRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio — It’s a materials scientist’s dream, but as some experts say, an engineer’s nightmare. For scientists and engineers at the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, additive manufacturing, also known as 3-D printing, can be a powerful tool for rapid innovation. Ultimately, it’s a new way of looking at manufacturing […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-air-force-explores-additive-manufacturing-technology-68785/

DefenceTalkThe Air Force, through its Life Cycle Management Center, has stood up the Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapons Systems (CROWS). Although the office’s primary operating location and senior leadership will be at Hanscom Air Force Base, contributing staff will come from various Air Force organizations and geographic locations. It will focus on integrating activities across […]https://www.defencetalk.com/usaf-looks-to-ensure-cyber-resiliency-in-weapons-systems-68758/

DefenceTalkA program office at Hanscom Air Force Base is working to improve and upgrade a system that provides comprehensive air surveillance and defense with a recent request for information and industry days. The Battle Control Systems Fixed, or BCS-F, provides a comprehensive air picture for North America and allows air battle managers to execute command […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-air-force-looks-to-upgrade-bcs-f-air-surveillance-system-68429/

DefenceTalkThe US Air Force’s unmanned X-37B space plane has now spent more than 500 days orbiting the Earth, without statement or explanation.The 29-foot unmanned plane is part of the Air Force’s orbital program. Launched May 20, 2015, it is the program’s fourth flight (hence its other name, OTV-4 for Orbital Test Vehicle-4). The first OTV […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-air-forces-space-plane-has-been-in-orbit-for-500-days-but-why-68377/

DefenceTalkHidden underground in steel-and-concrete silos across rural America, more than 400 intercontinental ballistic missiles point to the skies, poised for launch — and ready to obliterate cities across the world. First designed in the 1960s at the height of the Cold War, the Minuteman nuclear weapons are starting to show their age, and replacement parts […]https://www.defencetalk.com/us-air-force-set-to-replace-intercontinental-nuke-arsenal-68220/

DefenceTalkThe United States and Bulgarian air forces will conduct the first ever joint NATO air policing mission in Bulgaria, Sept. 9-16. The air policing mission enables on-demand response capabilities, which serve to mitigate and deter violations and infringements on Bulgarian sovereign airspace. Working alongside the Bulgarian air force are four F-15C Eagle fighter aircraft from […]https://www.defencetalk.com/bulgaria-us-air-forces-commence-joint-air-policing-68151/