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
Daily News | March 8, 2023

DENVER -- The MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopter program reached milestone C and will enter low-rate initial production after the Air Force successfully negotiated data rights, service acquisition chief Andrew Hunter told reporters Monday.

Daily News | March 8, 2023

DENVER -- Chief of Space Operations Gen. Chance Saltzman expanded upon his three lines of effort for "Competitive Endurance" at the Air and Space Forces Association Warfare Symposium on Tuesday.

Daily News | March 8, 2023

DENVER -- The Air Force is moving away from a previous aerial refueling modernization blueprint to instead develop what it’s calling the Next-Generation Air refueling System, or NGAS, service acquisition chief Andrew Hunter told reporters this week.

Daily News | March 7, 2023

DENVER -- The Air Force will seek to procure roughly 1,000 uncrewed collaborative aircraft as part of its Next-Generation Air Dominance plan for the future fighter fleet, service Secretary Frank Kendall said Tuesday morning.

Daily News | March 7, 2023

DENVER -- Despite neither side securing domain dominance, air warfare has remained a key component for Russia's invasion of Ukraine, highlighting areas for investment in future counter-unmanned aerial systems programs, Commander of U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Africa Gen. James Hecker said.

Daily News | March 3, 2023

F-35 Joint Strike Fighters grounded by an engine problem discovered in December will undergo an immediate retrofitting procedure to return to flight, the Joint Program Office said Thursday, and all other F-35s should be retrofitted within 90 days.

Daily News | March 1, 2023

In the nearly eight years since Northrop Grumman inked a contract to design the Air Force's new nuclear bomber, lawmakers and Defense Department officials have touted it as an example of acquisition done right amid years of cost overruns and schedule delays in other programs.

Daily News | February 28, 2023

The Air Force awarded Boeing a $1.2 billion initial contract for the E-7A Wedgetail, which will replace the aging E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft, the service announced Tuesday evening.

The Insider | February 17, 2023

Northrop Grumman's LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile has completed a series of wind tunnel tests, the company announced Thursday.

Daily News | February 16, 2023

Lockheed Martin could see a loss on one of its contracts for a classified program in its Missiles and Fire Control section as the effort goes into production, Chief Financial Officer Jay Malave said Thursday at the Cowen Aerospace/Defense and Industrial Conference.

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.

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