Shelley K. Mesch

Shelley K. Mesch joined Inside Defense as an Air Force reporter in 2022. She had previously reported on business, technology and innovation at The Salt Lake Tribune and the Wisconsin State Journal.

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Archived Articles
The Insider | February 15, 2023

Air Force Under Secretary Gina Ortiz Jones will step down from her role as the second-highest ranking civilian in the service, the Air Force announced this week.

Daily News | February 15, 2023

Northrop Grumman is working to mitigate cost burdens for the low-rate initial production phase of the B-21 Raider bomber, which is under a fixed-price contract negotiated in 2015 and doesn’t take recent inflation into account, Chief Financial Officer Dave Keffer said Wednesday.

Daily News | February 14, 2023

Two of the three F-35 Lightning II fighter variants used by the U.S. military saw decreasing mission availability rates last fiscal year, according to a Congressional Budget Office report published Monday.

Daily News | February 13, 2023

Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Brown called out what he sees as unhelpful speculation of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan at a Brookings Institution interview Monday.

Daily News | February 7, 2023

The Air Force stood up its program office for the E-7 Wedgetail platform, which will replace the decaying E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System, spokeswoman Maj. Alli Stormer confirmed to Inside Defense.

The Insider | February 2, 2023

The Air Force has awarded Boeing a $1.6 billion contract to sustain the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile's guidance subsystem, according to the Defense Department.

The Insider | January 30, 2023

The Air Force is looking at using artificial intelligence-based surveillance systems to monitor other country nationals at a U.S. Central Command base, which could significantly cut back on the number of uniformed personnel needed for force protection, according to a request for information posted Friday.

Daily News | January 27, 2023

L3Harris Technologies' proposed acquisition of Aerojet Rocketdyne is a way to branch into the missiles market, L3Harris CEO Chris Kubasik said Friday, adding that hypersonic missile technology could be the "crown jewel" of the acquisition.

Daily News | January 26, 2023

Northrop Grumman remains on track for a flight test of the Air Force's B-21 Raider later this year and is anticipating a low-rate initial production purchase of five of the bombers, executives said during the company's year-end earnings call Thursday.

Daily News | January 24, 2023

Lockheed Martin executives touted a strong fourth quarter during a year-end earnings call Tuesday, claiming each of the company's business areas met or exceeded expectations set for 2022.

The Insider | January 19, 2023

The Air Force is seeking information from the defense industry for ways to keep its cyberspace operations system relevant, opening the possibility for a recompete on a sustainment contract currently held by Northrop Grumman.

Daily News | January 17, 2023

The Air Force won't be making its first communication node for the Advanced Battle Management System effort compatible with the F-22 aircraft, as previously expected, according to a Government Accountability Office report released Friday that pointed to deficiencies in the service's effort.

The Insider | January 6, 2023

The Air Force is seeking information about existing commercial capabilities to build out the communications network for its Advanced Battle Management System, according to a Friday post from the service.

Daily News | December 27, 2022

The Space Force is advancing efforts to create its own version of the metaverse, which it is calling SpaceVerse, as part of its core focus to build itself into a digital service, according to Chief Technology and Innovation Officer Lisa Costa.

Daily News | December 19, 2022

Leidos will work with the Air Force Research Laboratory under a contract of up to $334 million to develop an air-breathing hypersonic system for the Mayhem program, the Defense Department announced Friday.

The Insider | December 15, 2022

The Space Force and its industry contractors should be able to launch new satellites in no more than three years after signing a contract, the service’s acquisition chief said Thursday.

Daily News | December 14, 2022

The Air Force's integrating program executive officer for command, control, communications and battle management said he will need a few more months to assess before he can share the priorities for the recently formed office.

Daily News | December 12, 2022

The Air Force Research Laboratory and its private partners tested a synthetic jet fuel made from carbon in the air that can be used in existing jet engines, a propellant one of the project leads said could address logistics challenges while providing a carbon-neutral combustible alternative.

The Insider | December 12, 2022

The first operational prototype of the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon hypersonic missile completed a successful test from a B-52H Stratofortress, the Air Force announced Monday.

Daily News | December 8, 2022

The Air Force will have to track the acquisitions of materials, technologies and components associated with the service's two top nuclear modernization programs, should the defense policy bill released Tuesday pass.

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