Sara Sirota

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.

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Archived Articles
The Insider | February 19, 2020

The Air Force is planning to spend up to $125 million for software updates to its inventory of AIM-120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles.

Daily News | February 18, 2020

Software developers for the military's next intercontinental ballistic missile system will be able to begin using DevSecOps right after a manufacturing contract is awarded this summer, giving the program a head start on writing code.

Daily News | February 18, 2020

The Air Force is moving forward with a contracting solution worth up to $490 million for research and development of capabilities that can combat commercial off-the-shelf small unmanned aerial systems.

Daily News | February 13, 2020

The Air Force is considering awarding multiple contracts in fiscal year 2021 for risk-reduction work supporting the effort to build and purchase the president's next emergency command-and-control aircraft.

Daily News | February 12, 2020

The Air Force is investing $1.6 billion more than expected in its HH-60W Combat Rescue Helicopter acquisition program over the next four years to buy the Sikorsky-built aircraft on a faster schedule, according to the service’s latest budget documents.

Daily News | February 11, 2020

The Air Force is planning a major investment into its joint all-domain command and control efforts over the next five years -- projecting expenditures of more than $3.2 billion to develop the Advanced Battle Management System.

Daily News | February 11, 2020

The Air Force's fiscal year 2021 budget makes major changes to the service's fleet of remotely piloted aircraft -- ending purchases of MQ-9 Reapers and retiring more than two-thirds of its RQ-4 Global Hawk fleet.

Daily News | February 10, 2020

The Air Force's $168.9 billion fiscal year 2021 budget request proposes a $4.1 billion realignment across the future years defense program to fund increases in future air and space dominance capabilities through cuts to legacy bombers and tankers, Block 20 and 30 Global Hawks, Guard and Reserve Component A-10s and planned missile procurements. (UPDATED)

Daily News | February 10, 2020

The Air Force is terminating the Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon program -- one of two prototyping efforts the service is pursuing to achieve a capability that can travel faster than Mach 5 -- following completion of its critical design review this spring.

Daily News | February 10, 2020

The Air Force plans to solicit proposals from industry for a gateway capability that can be added to an E-3 Sentry to enable data sharing between fifth-generation and fourth-generation aircraft.

Daily News | February 7, 2020

Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist officially ordered the establishment of a joint all-domain command and control cross-functional team in a memo signed last week.

Daily News | February 7, 2020

After the Defense Department inspector general's office found the Air Force wasted nearly $18 million from the Overseas Contingency Operations budget on a capability that was never delivered, the service's chief auditor is conducting a review of how this funding is used to develop "innovation projects."

The Insider | February 5, 2020

Air Force Global Strike Command launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile with a test reentry vehicle from Vandenberg Air Force Base, CA, early this morning.

Daily News | February 3, 2020

The Air Force has selected variants of the Small Diameter Bomb I and Miniature Air Launched Decoy as the initial demonstration weapons for the Golden Horde swarming munitions vanguard program, according to a service spokeswoman.

Daily News | January 31, 2020

The Small Diameter Bomb II has a cumbersome process to load Link 16 data, creating a "significant challenge" for timely mission planning and complicating the delivery of valid targeting information for attacks against moving targets, according to a new report from the Pentagon's chief weapons tester.

Daily News | January 31, 2020

One year after the Combat Rescue Helicopter program received a searing review from the Pentagon’s chief weapons evaluator, more testing has exposed new technical constraints and performance issues in degraded visual and live-fire environments.

Daily News | January 29, 2020

The Pentagon is building a new warfighting concept to lay out capabilities that will define the future battle -- and intends to use the Air Force-led joint all-domain command and control effort as a proving ground, according to the military's second-highest-ranking officer.

The Insider | January 28, 2020

The Air Force is looking to build a long-term partnership with an industry provider as it seeks to upgrade the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System to transmit and receive fifth-generation fighter platform sensor data.

Daily News | January 27, 2020

The U.S. government has halted all weapon deliveries to Iraq -- including the Air Force's program supplying Sidewinder missiles, Maverick missiles and other arms for the country's new F-16 fleet -- amid tensions with Iran and paramilitary groups there.

The Insider | January 24, 2020

A demonstrator for the Air Force's effort to quickly acquire low-cost, expendable aircraft that may eventually play a role in the Advanced Battle Management System has returned to flight after experiencing a mishap in October.

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