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.

Connections
Archived Articles
Daily News | October 16, 2020

The Air Force and Raytheon have finalized a $272 million deal for the sixth production lot of the Small Diameter Bomb II -- a precision-guided weapon designed to strike moving targets in all weather conditions.

Daily News | October 15, 2020

The Air Force is looking to integrate the MQ-9 Reaper with a new open mission system computer called Stellar Relay that could strengthen the unmanned aircraft's utility for joint all-domain command and control as its traditional role monitoring and striking terrorism targets slows down.

Daily News | October 13, 2020

Air Combat Command has approved Raytheon's Small Diameter Bomb II -- a smart weapon dubbed "StormBreaker" -- for operational use following a major testing campaign, a production line pause and a Nunn-McCurdy cost growth breach.

The Insider | October 13, 2020

Congress has approved a Pentagon request to transfer $63.7 million from the Air Force's fiscal year 2020 operations and maintenance account to the E-4B National Airborne Operations Center and Nuclear Command, Control and Communications Center.

Daily News | October 7, 2020

The Office of the Secretary of Defense projects the military's new intercontinental ballistic missile system -- the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent -- will cost $264 billion over its life cycle, which could extend into the 2070s, Air Force spokesman Capt. Joshua Benedetti confirmed in a statement to Inside Defense today.

Daily News | October 7, 2020

While Air Force leaders advocate a new force structure to confront emerging threats, Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) says military planners haven't demonstrated they can meet current operational needs while executing their ambitious plans to retire and replace legacy aircraft.

The Insider | October 2, 2020

The Air Force and Army have signed a two-year agreement to collaborate in the development of combined joint all-domain command and control.

The Insider | September 30, 2020

The Air Force has added nine companies to the pool of Skyborg contractors vying for funds to support prototyping, experimentation and autonomy development, the Defense Department announced Tuesday.

Daily News | September 29, 2020

The Air Force has conducted the first flight test of the MQ-9A Reaper carrying eight live AGM-114 Hellfire missiles -- twice the number it can currently hold -- to show the remotely piloted aircraft's ability to perform "persistent attack" operations in future conflicts.

Daily News | September 29, 2020

The Pentagon has finished an analysis of alternatives for the Survivable Airborne Operations Center -- a future platform capable of supporting nuclear command, control and communications operations -- and is preparing for the impacts of funding restrictions on the broader NC3 modernization enterprise under a continuing resolution.

Daily News | September 28, 2020

The XQ-58A Valkyrie drone is expected to be operational again next month following a mishap over the summer and will soon fly with a gateway communications pod that could enable F-22 and F-35 fighter jets to stealthily exchange data.

The Insider | September 25, 2020

The Air Force is preparing an environmental impact statement on plans to dispose the legacy Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile system and deploy its replacement, the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, according to a notice posted on the Federal Register today.

The Insider | September 25, 2020

The Air Force has awarded Boeing a $2.2 billion contract for guaranteed minimum Lot 15 production of the precision-guided Small Diameter Bomb I.

Daily News | September 25, 2020

Air Force Materiel Command is considering sending industry a second request for information to support market research into the multiple roles an MQ-9 Reaper replacement, or MQ-Next, can perform as a node within the joint all-domain command and control infrastructure.

The Insider | September 24, 2020

The Pentagon has announced a new list of contractors that have received indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contracts worth up to $950 million to support the Air Force's Advanced Battle Management System program.

Daily News | September 24, 2020

The Air Force and Lockheed Martin have begun negotiating a lower unit cost for the next batch of commoditized F-16 fighter jets they anticipate supplying through last month's novel foreign military sale contract to a new group of customers, sources tell Inside Defense.

Daily News | September 23, 2020

Air Force acquisition executive Will Roper is looking to field Advanced Battle Management System capabilities with full operational use across combatant commands starting at the fourth on-ramp in Europe, he told reporters today.

The Insider | September 23, 2020

The Air Force has tested the ability of new sensor and missile technology to thwart a fleet of small unmanned aerial systems while integrated with an emerging command-and-control network at the large-scale Apollyon exercise last month, the service revealed today.

Daily News | September 22, 2020

The Government Accountability Office has raised concerns that the National Nuclear Security Administration's W87-1 program -- potentially the most expensive warhead modernization effort since the end of the Cold War -- is neglecting best management practices when considering future design options and plutonium pit availability, according to previously undisclosed details from a classified report the watchdog completed in February. (UPDATED)

Daily News | September 21, 2020

The Air Force is refining its acquisition strategy for the Stand-in Attack Weapon -- an emerging guided missile intended for the F-35 fighter jet -- to place greater emphasis on digital engineering and open-systems architecture.

Not a subscriber? Sign up for 30 days free access to exclusive, behind-the-scenes reporting on defense policy and procurement.