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The F-117A Nighthawk stealth fighter, the world’s first purpose-designed stealth aircraft, was recently sighted high in the skies over Death Valley, California. The fighter, part of a fleet of jets retired in 2008, was sporting a brand new camouflage paint job and accompanied by a NASA jet and aerial refueling tanker. What was it doing? That’s anyone’s guess.

In 1986, the Albuquerque Journal received documents from an FOIA request. To their surprise, the Air Force had kept a nuclear accident secret for 29 years. The story of how a B-36 bomber dropped the biggest bomb the United States ever made on New Mexico deserves to be remembered. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0gRHgwSGhE

Senior Officer Describes Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Four-Star General 10 Jul 2019 The Canadian Press WASHINGTON — A senior military officer has accused the Air Force general tapped to be the next vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of sexual misconduct, potentially jeopardizing his nomination. Members of Congress have raised questions about the allegations and the military investigation that found insufficient evidence to charge him. The officer told The Associated Press that Gen. John Hyten subjected her to a series of unwanted sexual advances by kissing, hugging and rubbing up against her in 2017 while she was one...

Astrophotographer Ralf Vandebergh captured an image of the US Air Force's X-37B space plane in orbit. The reusable, uncrewed space vehicle, designated OTV-5, is on a secret testing mission since its launch in September 2017. From Vandebergh's post at Spaceweather.com: Images were taken through a 10 inch F/4,8 aperture Newtonian telescope with an Astrolumina ALccd 5L-11 mono CMOS camera. Tracking was fully manually through a 6x30 finderscope.

In what is being called the first recorded action of a Medal of Honor recipient, author Dan Schilling narrates the relentless, fighting hero: John Chapman.Air Force Technical Sgt. John A. Chapman proved himself in battle like few others. Posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for actions in Afghanistan in 2002, a new book by Dan Schilling, entitled "Alone at Dawn," chronicles Chapman’s heroic exploits that fateful day. [Snip] In a recently-released video, Schilling narrates CIA Predator Drone footage of the fight that ultimately claimed the life of one of America’s ultimate badasses, John Chapman. This is the only known footage...

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla., June 25 (UPI) -- SpaceX's third-ever Falcon Heavy rocket launched early Tuesday from Florida, carrying 24 satellites in a complex government mission from Kennedy Space Center. It was the first time the military used the world's most powerful rocket, the first nighttime launch for the Falcon Heavy and the first time such a government mission used two SpaceX boosters that have been flown before. The space company also made history by catching one half of the rocket nose cone -- or fairing -- in a net on a fishing boat at sea, as the fairings fell...

**SNIP** However, the president’s design dreams were potentially undercut across town at Wednesday’s House Armed Services Committee’s markup of the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Rep. Joe Courtney, D-Conn., put forth an amendment that would require congressional approval for changes to the paint scheme and interior design of Air Force One. Although Republicans said it seemed like a poke at the president, Courtney defended it as an economy measure. “Additional paint can add weight to the plane, additional fixtures inside the plane can also add cost and delays to the delivery of the plane,” Courtney said, noting that he...

President Donald Trump will deliver the Air Force Academy’s graduation speech on May 30, the White House confirmed Thursday. Trump bumped expected speaker Vice President Mike Pence from the podium for the ceremony in Falcon Stadium, where about 1,000 seniors will pin on the rank of 2nd lieutenant. It will be Trump’s first stop in Colorado Springs since his visit during the 2016 presidential campaign. **SNIP** Trump’s remarks haven’t been written, but addressing his push for a separate Space Force is a safe bet. Colorado Springs is home to the bulk of the military’s space troops and is in the...

Russian “Bear” bombers flew near Alaska under fighter escort for the second time in two days. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) said that it had to scramble two pair of U.S. F-22 fighter jets to intercept the Russian formation on Tuesday. “The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and at no time entered U.S. or Canadian sovereign airspace,” NORAD said in a statement posted on social media. The incident occurred just a day after four nuclear-capable Russian bombers and two Russian fighter jets were intercepted off the west coast of Alaska by U.S. aircraft.NORAD said Monday that its...

For the second time in two days, U.S. F-22 stealth jets intercepted Russian bombers and fighter jets off the coast of Alaska, North American Aerospace Defense Command said in a statement. A total of four F-22 stealth jets were involved in intercepting the two Russian Tu-95 bombers Tuesday, which had entered the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone, according to NORAD. The zone extends approximately 200 miles off Alaska's western coast. The bombers returned to the area again, this time accompanied by Su-35 fighter jets and were subsequently intercepted by U.S. aircraft.

May 21 (UPI) -- A U.S. House subcommittee wants to approve only half of the Pentagon's spare parts purchases for F-35 jets in reviewing 2020 budgetary plans. Last week, the Democrat-led House Appropriations Committee released a draft of the fiscal year 2020 defense funding bill, which includes $690.2 billion in discretionary spending. The legislation includes 90 F-35 aircraft, 12 more than requested, and eight F-15EX aircraft, meant to recapitalize the F-15C/D fleet in the U.S. military. … The panel plans to approve half of the $728.7 million request for spare parts for Navy and Air Force F-35s until the Pentagon...

<p>US President Donald Trump announced Tuesday he had nominated a former ambassador and Arizona businesswoman to lead the Air Force.</p> <p>Barbara Barrett, 68, served as the US ambassador to Finland from 2008 to 2009 under the George W. Bush administration. She also chaired an aeronautics research and development center, The Aerospace Corporation, until 2017.</p>

U.S. fighter planes intercepted Russian bombers and fighters that entered Alaska’s airspace on May 20, said the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) on May 21. As a result, the Russian aircraft remained in international airspace. In a later statement, NORAD said its “ability to deter and defeat threats” begins with “detecting, tracking, and positively identifying” non-American aircraft in U.S. airspace.....General Terrence J. O’Shaughnessy, the NORAD commander, said in a statement that “NORAD’s top priority is defending Canada and the United States. “Our ability to protect our nations starts with successfully detecting, tracking, and positively identifying aircraft of interest approaching...

Two jets from different eras, with different missions, strengths, and weaknesses, face off in a battle for today’s funds. The F-35 Lightning has been the Air Force’s sole new fighter program since 2009, when the F-22 Raptor program was prematurely terminated. While behind schedule, the program has been a top Air Force priority for more than a decade and until recently, was expected to remain USAF’s only fighter program until a future capability, still undefined, comes online. Now the F-35 faces a new challenge from an old jet design, a variant of the F-15 Strike Eagle; an airplane from an...

According to U.S. Central Command, the target was an “entrenched tunnel network and a weapons cache” in Iraq’s Hamrin mountain range. Two F-35As dropped a Joint Directed Attack Munition on the target, described as a “location able to threaten friendly forces.” JDAMs are regular unguided “dumb” bombs fitted with a GPS-based guidance system and steerable tail fin kit. The pilot enters the GPS coordinates of the target into the JDAM and the guided munition will steer itself to the target. Military GPS is typically accurate to within 3 meters, making JDAMs extremely accurate. The Air Force is considering purchasing the...

U.S. Air Force says a ground-based laser downed multiple test missiles over New Mexico. A successful ground test has moved the U.S. military one big step closer to putting anti-missile lasers on its aircraft. A ground-based laser shot down “several” missiles in flight during an April 23 test at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, Air Force officials said. Run by the Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, the test was part of the Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator, or SHiELD, a program intended to protect aircraft from incoming missiles. AFRL officials said security reasons prevented them from...

ST. LOUIS — Boeing is preparing to build F-15 fighter planes for the U.S. Air Force at its St. Louis County plant even though the military branch hasn’t bought the jet in over a decade. The Chicago-based company began ramping up its F-15 production line near St. Louis after the Air Force submitted a nearly $8 billion budget request last month that included eight F-15s next year and 72 in the following four years. The request came as a surprise to many since the U.S. military has moved toward stealth fighters, such as Lockheed Martin's F-35, in recent years. Prat...

On April 15, 1952, the huge YB-52 Stratofortress takes wing from Boeing Field. The plane surpasses anything then flying, with eight engines slung below swept wings measuring 185 feet from tip to tip. It is capable of carrying the largest nuclear devices available and one version is able to carry up to 30 tons of conventional weapons. The plane’s range initially is more than 5,000 miles and development of aerial refueling makes missions of up to 30 hours possible. Between 1954 and 1962, Boeing will manufacture more than 740 B-52s, first in Seattle and then Wichita, and scores of aircraft...

The US Air Force ordered immediate inspections of its entire fleet of B-1 bombers Thursday over safety concerns related to its "drogue chute system" which is used to right the aircraft's ejection seat prior to the seat's main parachute deploying. While none of the planes are being allowed to fly, the order is technically not an official grounding of the fleet, as each individual aircraft will be allowed to immediately return to flying operations upon inspection. "The safety stand-down will afford maintenance and Aircrew Flight Equipment technicians the necessary time to thoroughly inspect each aircraft," the Air Force's Global Strike...

The US Air Force (USAF) is requesting funds from Congress for eight Boeing F-15EX fighters instead of more of its favoured aircraft, the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter, in a move aimed at cutting costs. Over the past year and a half, the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Joint Chiefs of Staff have come up with the idea as a means to quickly and cheaply replace the USAF’s ageing F-15C fleet, which will be ready for retirement in the 2020s, says a source familiar with discussions around the Pentagon's force planning. Boeing The new-build F-15...