U.S. Air Force

SpaceX's Thursday rocket launch and landing could make history

SpaceX is poised to enter a very exclusive club.<p>The Elon Musk-founded spaceflight company is planning to re-fly a refurbished, uncrewed Dragon spacecraft on its second trip to the International Space Station on Thursday.<p>If successful, this will mark the first time SpaceX has re-flown one of its …

SpaceX

Against backdrop of uncertainty, US B-52 bombers deploy to Europe

<b>Washington (CNN) —</b> The US Air Force is deploying long-range B-52 bombers and 800 airmen to the United Kingdom in support of joint exercises with NATO allies and partners taking place across Europe in June.<p>The nuclear-capable B-52 Stratofortress will take part in a series of joint exercises that …

Military

Elon Musk Leaves Trump's Advisory Councils After Administration's Split From Paris Climate Accord

Elon Musk says he's leaving two White House advisory councils as a response to President Trump's decision to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate …

Climate

Could America Really Shoot Down an ICBM During a War?

The Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency demonstrated the ability to intercept an intercontinental ballistic missile using Ground-based Midcourse …

Military

U.S. Returns To Farnborough Air Show, Russia Retreats

International political and security developments are casting a shadow on this year’s Farnborough International Airshow. The U.S. and its allies are …

Aerospace

Time To Replace America's Land-Based ICBMs

For Americans who grew up under the long shadow of the Soviet threat — during which thermonuclear war was a very real possibility — our fascination with the Cold War has always been akin to a moth circling a flame.<p>Even today, the bedrock of American defense policy rests on the U.S.’ land-based ICBM …

War

The Air Force is Reactivating the Giant C-5 Galaxy

The planes, retired in a cost-cutting move, are roaring back.<p>The U.S. Air Force is bringing back C-5M Super Galaxy transports recently mothballed due to budget cuts. The gigantic planes, sent to an early retirement in a cost-cutting move, are being brought back as money flows back into the …

Military

Elon Musk to Trump: You quit Paris, so I quit you

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has quit two of President Trump's business advisory councils after the president announced he will pull the U.S. out of the historic Paris climate agreement.<p>"Am departing presidential councils. Climate change is real. Leaving Paris is not good for America or …

Elon Musk

Private defense companies are here to stay – what does that mean for national security?

Share prices of many military and intelligence contractors have risen sharply since President Donald Trump’s election.<p>Investors are betting that an …

Military

Red Flag Memories: Combat Pilot Explains How RF Has Evolved And Why The F-35 Is A Real Game Changer In Future Wars

Red Flag is not a “joke” as some critics have said. It’s an exercise that continues to evolve to replicate the most modern scenarios, where 5th Gen. …

Military

How Do Airline Pilots Know Turbulence Is Coming Up?

Hopefully, you'll never be on a plane that's caught in an unexpected stretch of severe turbulence, such as a recent ill-fated Aeroflot flight from …

Aviation

Hack The DHS: Senate Bill Would Encourage Hackers To Help Improve Security Of Department Of Homeland Security

A bill introduced in the U.S. Senate would offer rewards to hackers who report security vulnerabilities in the computer networks and systems of the …

Security

A California mayor hopes China will save his town from meth labs and neo-Nazis

By Matt Sheehan on May 31, 2017<p>Rex Parris’ gaze blankets Lancaster, California. Driving northeast out of Los Angeles, you first catch sight of Parris as Highway 14 weaves its way down toward the Mojave Basin. Sporting a full white beard and an almost mischievous smile — a look that’s been compared …

China

Michael Rahal, amateur race car driver whose son won at Indy, dies

Michael Rahal was a longtime wholesale food distributor who enjoyed a decidedly more exciting side pursuit during his middle-age years: auto racing.<p>Rahal, father of 1986 Indianapolis 500 champ Bobby Rahal, was a passionate amateur auto racer, providing inspiration for his son as he competed at …

Entertainment

U.S. Air Force Seeks $1.3 Billion Increase for Space Programs

WASHINGTON – The White House is asking Congress to provide $7.75 billion for military space systems in 2018, a $1.3 billion increase over what the …

Military

U.S. Air Force veteran gets 35 years for trying to join Islamic State

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Tairod Pugh, a U.S. Air Force veteran convicted of attempting to join Islamic State, was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Wednesday after delivering an impassioned speech in which he maintained his innocence and decried what he called the United States' racism and …

Islamic State (ISIS)

Megyn Kelly Hopes to Spark ‘Sunday Night’ for NBC

Thanks to her colorful tangles with Donald Trump on the campaign trail, a best-selling book and a popular primetime perch on Fox News Channel, many …

Megyn Kelly

Cultures in Need of Change

We’re looking squarely at you, Jacksonville and Los Angeles (Rams) . . . plus, dropping CFL knowledge as Vince Young mounts his comeback and football …

NFL

How To Give Constructive Feedback To Your Boss Without Getting Fired

What happened when this Air Force pilot had to critique his general’s performance.<p>It was a typical morning when I headed to my job as a flight instructor at Luke Air Force Base. I checked my flight schedule—and discovered my wingman that day was going to be my <i>general</i>.<p>I wasn’t exactly excited. I’d …

Leadership

Americans still hold the US military in high regard, but one branch stood above the rest in a recent Gallup poll

The military remains high in the U.S. public’s esteem, but Americans believe the Air Force in particular is the most important branch of the armed forces.<p>A recent Gallup poll found that among 27 percent of Americans, the Air Force is the most important service, followed shortly after by the Army at …

Military

Air Force Now Wants to Get Sidelined C-5 Galaxy Transports Back In the Air

Years of budget cuts mean the service has less than 50 of the massive airlifters available for worldwide missions.<p>USAF<p>The U.S. Air Force wants to get …

Military

America Just Flew A Pair Of B-1B Bombers Over The Korean Peninsula

The United States flew a pair of long-range, supersonic bombers over the Korean peninsular during a joint drill with South Korea on Monday, drawing …

North Korea

From U-2 to CORONA: How Intelligence Collection Norms Evolve

Fifty-seven years ago this month, Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev revealed the capture of CIA pilot Francis Gary Powers and Soviet possession of his …

Soviet Union

Lockdown lifted at Texas air base after 'security incident'

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Military officials say the lockdown of a U.S. Air Force base in Texas has been lifted after a preliminary search of a community center there did not reveal any danger.<p>Authorities at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland earlier Tuesday had warned of a "security incident" and directed …

Military

Boeing puts 737 up against small business jets for $6.9B defense contract

Boeing is pitching to the Pentagon a 737-based replacement for the 17-aircraft fleet of JSTARS jets, used for surveillance of ground forces in a …

Aerospace

Backed by US air power, Polish and Afghan forces free 11 hostages from the Taliban

WARSAW, Poland — Polish and Afghan special forces, backed by U.S. air power, freed 11 people who had been taken hostage by the Taliban in …

Military

Anatomy of a Crash-Test Dummy

<b>His bare buttocks</b> rest on the cold steel shelf; the smooth, hairless skin has a ghastly pinkish-orange hue. His toeless feet lie nearby, alongside …

Military

America's P-8 Poseidon Submarine Killer

There is a decent chance you have already flown on one of the U.S. Navy’s key new aircraft—or rather, the 737 airliner it is based on. The P-8A …

Military

The Navy wants to recruit you — with Virtual Reality

NEW YORK — I’m on a covert Navy mission driving a special operation craft on a secluded river. I'm charged with helping to extract a SEAL team pinned …

Virtual Reality

Why the U.S. Military Won't Ever Build Another F-22 Raptor

The reasons are pretty simple. <i>One recently retired Air Force official with direct knowledge about the service’s efforts to repair two damaged Raptors</i> …

Military