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☆ The US Air Force is training to take down Chinese warships, but China's military has built a 'wicked' problem for it to overcome
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-13 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

That's not a new task for the US Air Force, but it faces a 'wicked' threat from China's air defenses. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe US Air Force is working on improving its ability to sink well-defended warships, a reflection of the US military's concern about the growing size and increasing capability of China's navy. US Naval History and Heritage CommandUS pilots have trained to sink warships since the early 1920s, well before the Air Force's founding in 1947. US Air Force A-10s at Naval Air Station North Island in California for Green Flag-West in November 2022. Wilsbach said in September that training by Pacific Air Forces has emphasized "stacking effects" to bring more weapons to bear.

Persons: That's, —, Nancy Pelosi's, Pelosi, Gen, Kenneth Wilsbach, we've, Wilsbach, Sun, Brendan Mulvaney, Mulvaney, eng.chinamil.com.cn, Yang Yunxiang, that's, Mark Kelly, Kelly, hasn't, Lyle Goldstein, TENGKU BAHAR, Goldstein, they've, John Baum, Baum, Zachary Rufus, Col, Daniel Lehoski, William R, Lewis, Lockheed Martin, Lindsey Heflin Organizations: US Air Force, Service, US Pacific Air Forces, an Air and Space Forces Association, China News Service, Getty, China Aerospace Studies Institute, Department of, Air Force, United, and Space Forces Conference, Air Combat Command, Defense, Heritage Command US, Air, Navy, Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, Naval Air Station, Green Flag, West, US Army, Air Force Weapons, Weapons, Flag, Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada ., Pacific, US Navy, Squadron, Force, Missiles, Ship, Lockheed, Command, Lindsey Heflin Air Force, Pacific Air Forces, Army Locations: China, Taiwan, Pacific, United States, Ukraine, Asia, Hong Kong, Liaoning, Shandong, Fujian, Iraq, Afghanistan, California, Nevada

☆ Close calls around the world show that Russian and Chinese pilots want 'batting practice' against the US, top commanders say
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-01 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

The US military is reporting frequent unsafe intercepts of its planes by Russian and Chinese jets. They come as the jets and weapons the US Air Force relies on for air superiority continue to age. One is that they want batting practice against the best in the world, and that's available for them," Kelly added. Screengrab/US Air Force videoRussia and China have invested heavily in their own air forces in recent decades. China's air force and navy now field the world's third-largest aviation fleet, including 1,900 fighter jets.

Persons: —, Mark Kelly, Kelly, you've, Alexus Grynkewich, Grynkewich, PO1 Alexander Kubitza Little, Nancy Pelosi's, Joe Biden, Xi, Adm, John Aquilino Organizations: US Air Force, Service, Command, US Central Command, Pentagon, Air Combat Command, US Defense Department, Russian, Air and Space Forces Association, Air Force, AIM, US Air Forces, Defense Writers, Pacific Command, South China Locations: Russian, Syria, South, Ukraine, China, Pacific, Russia, Screengrab, East, US, Chinese, Taiwan, Beijing, People's Republic of China

☆ After watching Russia's and Ukraine's electronic warriors battle it out, the US military wants to 'dial up' up its own 'jamming power'
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-30 | by ( Michael Peck | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

That's why the US Air Force is eager to deploy a new generation of electronic-warfare aircraft and drones. In September, the Air Force received its first test EC-37B Compass Call. AdvertisementAdvertisementMilitaries have been investing in the secretive world of electronic warfare since World War II. Naturally, the Air Force wants to extensively test the E-37B before deploying it. A US Air Force EC-130H at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in August 2021.

Persons: —, Mark Kelly, Denis Abramov, James Rainey, Doug Bush, Bush, Felicia Jagdatt, Kelly, Alex Miller, Michael Peck Organizations: Service, US Air Force, Air Force, Gulfstream G550, Air Combat Command, Air and Space Forces Association, Russian Defense Ministry, Mil.ru, US Army Futures Command, Association of, United, Army, US Army, Air and Space Forces, US Air Force EC, Davis, Monthan Air Force Base, Air, Defense, Foreign Policy, Twitter, LinkedIn Locations: Ukraine, Vietnam, Russian, Mil.ru Ukraine, Russia, United States, Bliss, Texas, Forbes

But as the ramifications of Alabama Republican Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s freeze have grown, more of them are speaking out. Political Cartoons View All 1163 ImagesBut now even the Pentagon’s soon-to-be highest military leader is speaking out. It's not the first time general officer promotions have been frozen by a single senator. Six months into Tuberville's hold, 315 military officers are now affected, and the impact cuts deeper in some services. In the small and still growing U.S. Space Force, at least eight general officers’ nominations are on hold — but that’s one third of all of its 25 senior officers.

Persons: Alabama Republican Sen, Tommy Tuberville’s, they’ve, “ We’re, Mark Kelly, Kelly, he’s, Christopher Grady, Mark Milley, C.Q . Brown, can’t, Brown, ” Grady, Grady, there’s, Donald Trump’s, Biden, ”, Mark Harkins, ” Tuberville, Lloyd Austin, Tuberville, Larry Korb, It's, Democratic Sen, Tammy Duckworth, Trump, Alexander Vindman, Duckworth, Vindman, Chance Saltzman, we’re, Charles Flynn, Flynn, Kori Schake, “ It’s, ” Schake, Lisa Franchetti, Franchetti, —, hadn’t, ” Kelly, ” ___ Lita C, Baldor Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Alabama Republican, ” Air Force, Air Combat Command, Uniformed, Chiefs, Air Force, Joint Chiefs, Air and Space Forces Association, Government Affairs Institute, Georgetown University, Biden, Pentagon, Defense Department, Center for American Progress, Democratic, . Space Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, Army, American Enterprise Institute, Senate Armed Services Committee, Embassy Locations: Alabama, Maryland, ”, Dobbs, Washington

☆ The US Air Force is finally retiring the aging A-10. Now it plans to get rid of some the specially trained airmen who guide the Warthog to its targets.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Stavros Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The US Air Force has begun retiring the A-10, an aircraft famed for its role in close air support. Indeed, the US Air Force is finally retiring the aging A-10 Warthog ground-attack aircraft, which a top official has said "doesn't scare" China. According to Pentagon's budget request for 2024, the Air Force is looking to cut its TACP force by more than 40% over the next three years. If the plan goes ahead, the Air Force TACP community will have a little over 2,100 positions for officers, enlisted troops, and civilian personnel in 2025, down from the 3,700 slots it has currently, a spokesman told Air Force Times. "I think the military is getting ready for a war where we won't have air dominance," a former Air Force Combat Controller told Insider.

Persons: —, Tyler, Mercedee Wilds, Ryan Conroy, Michael Holzworth, Col, Nathan Colunga, Colunga, Stavros Atlamazoglou Organizations: US Air Force, Tactical Air Control Party, Service, China, US Air National Guard, Staff, Tyler Woodward Tactical Air Control Party, US Army, Marine Corps, Air Force, Air Force Times, Air, National Guard, Air Combat Command, Air Force Combat, Combat, Air Commando, 321st Special Tactics Squadron, Navy, Army Green Berets, Marine Raiders, Air Force Special Operations Command, Air Force Special, Squadron, Tech, Warfare, Hellenic Army, 575th Marine Battalion, Army, Johns Hopkins University, Johns Hopkins, School, International Locations: China, Estonian, Kansas, Fort Irwin, California, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Estonia, Nevada, Johns

☆ Even with F-16s, Ukraine's pilots still wouldn't be 'out of the woods' against Russia's air force, US officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Polish and Slovakian MiG-29s would add to Ukraine's fleet and be familiar to Ukrainian pilots but won't bring much more capability than Ukraine's current MiG-29s. 'The hard work'A pilot exits a Polish Air Force F-16 at an airbase in Poznan in November 2006. If the US or another NATO country elected to supply Ukraine with F-16s, Kelly said his first question would be "what sustainment depot are they going to use? "Again, that's just for the short-term of being able to launch or recover aircraft," Baum said. Ukraine's new jets would also be flying against Russian air-defense weapons that have claimed dozens of Ukrainian aircraft and continue to contest the airspace around the front lines.

☆ Fighter jets are 'worthless' over Ukraine, and it's a sign of what US pilots and troops may face in future battles
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-16 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

As a result, neither side is able to provide close air support to its troops on the front line. US pilots and ground troops may face a similar situation in future wars, US Air Force leaders say. They're not doing a whole lot because they can't go over and do close air support," Hecker said. "Close air support in a contested environment, that's not what we do, no matter who you are," Brown added. William GreerSince taking over as the top Air Force officer in August 2020, Brown has stressed that future battlefields will be more complex and deadly for the Air Force.

☆ Air Force's aging E-3 Sentry stirs questions of airborne-battle readiness
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-10 | by ( Brad Howard | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

For decades the U.S. Air Force has relied on the E-3 Sentry, and the most recent version, the E-3G, has been upgraded with more modern electronics and software to keep up with new threats. 'The best way to describe it is kind of like the quarterback in the sky," said Air Force Col. Keven Coyle, commander of the 552nd Air Control Wing. In the most recent budget, Congress appropriated an additional $200 million for the Air Force to develop a prototype to meet that need. A Royal Australian Air Force E-7A Wedgetail takes off during Black Flag 22-1 at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, May 10, 2022. A U.S. Air Force E-3G taxies on a runway at Tinker AFB By Brad Howard, CNBC

☆ Only 3 countries have managed to build 5th-generation fighters, but nearly a dozen are already working on 6th-gen jets
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-03 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

(The recently unveiled B-21 bomber is billed as the world's first sixth-gen aircraft, but little is known about its capabilities.) Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman, and Boeing are believed to be competing to build the jets, and all have released illustrations of sixth-gen aircraft. FCAS/SCAFA full-scale model of the Future Combat Air System at the Paris Air Show in June 2019. An illustration of Japan's next-generation fighter aircraft concept. While China is making heavy investment in military aviation, Russia's ability to develop next-generation jets may be shrinking.

☆ The F-22 is headed for retirement, but it's getting some major upgrades first
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( Alex Hollings | Sandboxx News | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

That means the Raptor will be need some upgrades in order to maintain its aerial advantage. Among them were new stealthy underwing fuel tanks and associated pylons, missiles, and what could be new electronic warfare or infrared search-and-track (IRST) pods. Today, the Raptor has 600-gallon fuel tanks it can carry underwing, but these tanks reduce its observability to a degree. The new fuel tanks intended for the F-22 are meant to offset some of that reduction. An F-22 Raptor over McEntire Joint National Guard Base in November 2017.

☆ China's new J-20 is nothing 'to lose a lot of sleep over,' but the US's stealth advantage isn't safe, US commanders say
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

China's air force has rapidly grown in size and capability, adding advanced jets like the J-20. The J-20 isn't "anything to lose a lot of sleep over," the head of US Pacific Air Forces said this week. But US Air Force leaders do say the US needs to work to stay head of the progress China is making. "We can take a look at it today and say we're not going to lose a lot of sleep. I'll lose sleep if we don't continue to modernize our Air Force to ensure that we stay ahead of where they are."

☆ The US Air Force is getting new tech that will make it easier for pilots to pee in flight
▼ + stars: | 2021-12-01 | by ( Ryan Pickrell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US Air Force is getting new technology that will make it easier for its fighter pilots, especially female pilots, to urinate in flight, potentially alleviating a longstanding problem for pilots needing to answer nature's call in a cramped cockpit. The Air Force will be receiving the Omni Gen. 3 Skydrate in-flight bladder-relief device in the near future, Air Combat Command announced in a press statement Wednesday. "The Air Force recognized that current devices were not optimized for long-duration sorties, and as a result, aircrew were routinely dehydrating themselves to delay the need for bladder relief," ACC explained. This was a big problem for pilots, particularly female pilots, who the Air Force said previously would "resort to 'tactical dehydration' to avoid the difficulties and potential dangers of having to relieve themselves inflight." The first shipments of the new Skydrate system will arrive early this month, and aircrews will have access to them by spring of next year.

Persons: Sharon Rogers, Nikki Yogi Organizations: US Air Force, Air Force, Omni, Air Combat Command, Business, Sky High, ACC, 46th, Squadron, Eglin Air Force Base Locations: Turkey, Florida

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