Wednesday, October 20, 2021
Sara Sirota was an associate editor for Inside the Air Force until April 2021. Previously, she reported for The Hill and The Cazenovia Republican. She has a master's degree in security studies from Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and a bachelor's degree in political science from Colgate University.
The Air Force One recapitalization program is undergoing a schedule review after prime contractor Boeing reported a pre-tax charge of $318 million -- the second unexpected cost increase since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Sierra Nevada Corp. has filed a lawsuit against the Air Force in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, alleging the service violated competition rules when deciding to award Sikorsky a nearly $1 billion sole-source contract to upgrade the HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter.
The Air Force is making progress replacing the Air Operations Center Weapon System's command-and-control planning and execution capabilities and determined its modernized software package has reached a key milestone.
The Air Force's flagship hypersonic boost-glide weapon is on track to start production in fiscal year 2022 as originally planned despite failing to launch during a flight demonstration earlier this month.
The National Nuclear Security Administration has finished a requirements review of the W87-1 warhead that will eventually be deployed with the new Ground Based Strategic Deterrent's intercontinental ballistic missiles.
The head of U.S. Strategic Command issued stark warnings to lawmakers this week about the risks of extending the Minuteman III system further or abandoning intercontinental ballistic missiles altogether.
The Air Force is facing continued challenges developing an upgraded version of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile and is now eyeing a production delay of up to one year.
The Air Force will award General Atomics a contract this month to deliver new MQ-9 Reapers outfitted with advanced technologies for near-peer competition and retrofit part of its existing fleet to the upgraded configuration.
The Air Force has completed a preliminary design review of the new Mk21A reentry vehicle -- a key component of the military’s future intercontinental ballistic missile system.
The Air Force finished the HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter's nearly two-year developmental test program earlier this week -- a significant milestone for the service's new fleet of personnel recovery aircraft.
The Air Force executed the longest recorded air-to-air missile shot during a counter-drone flight test last month, according to a press release issued Wednesday.
The Air Force Research Laboratory released a long-awaited request for proposals Tuesday for weapons that can thwart commercial off-the-shelf small unmanned aerial systems.
The Air Force has begun market research to identify potential sources that can dismantle, dispose of, and demilitarize the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile system.
Sierra Nevada has withdrawn a Feb. 22 protest with the Government Accountability Office against an Air Force solicitation for a nearly $1 billion HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter upgrades contract.
The Air Force has changed its acquisition strategy for the Stand-in Attack Weapon -- a new strike capability for the F-35 -- and is no longer solely pursuing an upgrade to the extended-range variant of the Navy and Northrop Grumman's Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile.
The Air Force's Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program has completed an integrated baseline review, establishing key cost and milestone dates as the program moves forward, according to a press release issued today by GBSD prime contractor Northrop Grumman.
The Air Force has selected Victoria Coleman, former director of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, as its new chief scientist.
The Air Force's flagship boost-glide hypersonic vehicle -- the Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon -- encountered a problem during a flight demonstration Monday and failed to launch from a B-52.
The Air Force Research Laboratory has demonstrated the first release of an ALTIUS-600 small drone from an XQ-58A Valkyrie's internal weapons bay, according to a notice AFRL issued today.
The Air Force is preparing Agility Prime electric vertical takeoff-and-landing vehicles for use in austere environments and recently proved one can fly inside an HC-130J transport aircraft ahead of an upcoming military exercise.