FROM THE INSTITUTE
Air Force leaders and industry partners working on the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) Program said at the AIAA AVIATION Forum 2026 that the United States can no longer rely on long, linear acquisition timelines if it hopes to keep pace with technologically sophisticated adversaries.
Tag: Air Force
Air Force Nears Solution to KC-46 Pegasus Vision System Problems
Aviation News reports, “The U.S. Air Force believes it has finally identified a solution to the long-standing problems affecting the KC-46 Pegasus aerial refueling tanker’s Remote Vision System (RVS), a critical component used during midair refueling operations. The announcement came during a Senate subcommittee hearing, where Air Force Secretary Troy Meink expressed confidence that the issue is nearing resolution.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)
Air Force Demonstrates Missile Evasion Using Onboard Tactical AI
Defense One reports, “Air Force test pilots used artificial intelligence aboard an experimental fighter jet to successfully evade a simulated incoming missile, showcasing how the service’s aviators may rely on AI in a future fight. Lockheed’s secretive Skunk Works research arm acknowledged the experiment Monday.”
Full Story (Defense One)
Air Force Boosts B-21 Raider Production, Targets 2027 Delivery
Breaking Defense reports, “The Air Force today announced a new agreement with Northrop Grumman to ‘ramp’ production of the in-development B-21 Raider, using $4.5 billion in reconciliation funding to help deliver the bomber by 2027.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)
Lockheed Martin C-130J Deliveries Suspended Pending Tech Fix
Breaking Defense reports, “Deliveries of Lockheed Martin-built C-130J aircraft to the US Air Force have been halted due to a problem with integrating a new communications upgrade, according to the service.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)
Air Force Authorizes SpaceX to Develop SLC-37 in Florida as Starship Launch Site
SPACE reports, “SpaceX just took a big step toward launching its Starship megarocket from Florida. The U.S. Air Force has given SpaceX permission to develop Space Launch Complex-37 (SLC-37) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station as a launch site for Starship, the biggest and most powerful rocket ever built. All 11 of the giant vehicle’s test flights to date have flown from Starbase, SpaceX’s facility in South Texas.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Second B-21 Flies for First Time as Air Force Looks to Expand Testing
Defense News reports the service hopes having two B-21s at Edwards Air Force Base will allow it to begin testing the bomber’s “weapons integration and critical mission systems.”
Full Story (Defense News)
Air Force to Purchase More KC-46s in Lieu of New Competition
Defense One reports, “After years of uncertainty about the Air Force’s tanker plans, the service has decided to buy more KC-46s instead of launching a new competition for its next tanker buy. This decision ends speculation that the service might launch a contest, likely between Boeing and Airbus, for an interim tanker buy of 75 aircraft to replace the aging KC-135 fleet. Instead, the Air Force will purchase more of the troubled but already-in-production KC-46 as a ‘bridge’ solution until it figures out its long-term tanking needs.”
Full Story (Defense One)
Draft Documents Indicate Pentagon Considering Big Changes to ICBM, Drone Wingmen programs in FY25
Breaking Defense reports, “Following the passage of a year-long continuing resolution (CR) in March, the Pentagon has considered big changes for marquee Air Force programs like the service’s new nuclear ICBM and futuristic drone wingmen, according to draft budgetary documents. The draft spending plan, which was previously reported by other outlets and obtained by Breaking Defense, includes a proposal for the Air Force to slash over a billion dollars in planned spending for the troubled Sentinel ICBM and funnel hundreds of millions of dollars into the Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone program.”
Full Story (Breaking Defense)
USAF Science & Technology Chief: New Urgency to Embrace Digital Transformation to Strengthen the Force’s Resiliency and Ability to Compete Against Near-Peer Rivals
By Anne Wainscott-Sargent, AIAA Communications Team
Watch On Demand
ORLANDO, Fla. – The ability to field critical capabilities in the U.S. Air Force (USAF) has never been more urgent, a senior Air Force official told AIAA SciTech Forum attendees.
“We are in competition with near-competitive nations and China in particular is now on par to deliver new capabilities in seven years or less,” said Kristen Baldwin, deputy assistant secretary of the Air Force.
She noted that in comparison, USAF programs take an average of 16 years to deliver new capability. “We see digital transformation as a true disruptive business practice that we can bring to bear. We have to invest now – we have to invest in new capabilities.”
Baldwin, speaking via Zoom on the second day of the forum, oversees a $5 billion budget across multiple research sites worldwide, focusing on digital engineering, cyber resiliency, and the service’s science and technology portfolio.
She described the Air Force’s digital materiel management approach, which includes six key initiatives to enhance data security, training, and IT infrastructure. Baldwin also outlined the integration of digital strategies across the Air Force and Space Force, including putting the government’s Modular Open Systems Architecture (MOSA) and other government reference architectures as requirements in contracts. MOSA is the cornerstone of new and legacy platforms and weapons.
Baldwin also mentioned the five pillars of the Air Force’s engineering strategy that has been embraced by U.S. allies, particularly in the UK and Australia. Her team’s Digital Materiel Management (DMM) approach has led to both schedule acceleration and technology improvements.
She stressed the need for continuous engagement with industry partners and international collaborations to drive digital transformation forward. The USAF has created two digital consortia – the Industry Association Consortium (IAC) and the Digital Acceleration Consortium (DAC). The IAC provides an open collaborative opportunity for the defense industrial base to help identify barriers and develop solutions associated with the rapid, full-scale adoption of DMM. The DAC recommends solutions modernizing IT infrastructure, compatible Integrated Digital Environments, secure access to data, and common data standards, policy, and contracting language.
During the Q&A, Baldwin agreed that as government goes more digital, it will be more vulnerable to cyber attacks.
“We have to implement that cyber resilience to really manage our data. We can’t rely on just network and perimeter defense. We’ve got to be able to implement and manage that security of our data, so these environments we’re building and the way we classify that data is a key foundational element of our digital transformation approach. We have to be agile in the way we can maneuver to respond to cyber threats. We have to be continuously aware and adapt,” she said.
The final question ended on a fun note: What did Baldwin consider the most feasible technological innovation from the Star Wars universe that could be developed within the next 50 years, and what challenges would engineers and scientists face in making it a reality?
“I love the idea of robotics and image holograms. The advancement of robotics as well as holograms can really help to transform the way that we support our forces. When we think of this urgency in national security, we’re going to find ourselves in situations where we are not going to have the ability to wait for delivery of future capability. We’ll have to reset and regroup in place.”
Responding to Baldwin’s presentation, Terry Hill, digital engineering program manager for NASA in Washington, D.C., said, “It’s good to hear the Air Force’s plan. Their approach to MOSA and their commitment to moving to a digital ecosystem is refreshing because that’s where NASA is wanting to go and we’re trying to work across agencies to best leverage all our different investments.”
Hill added that the Air Force’s emphasis on cybersecurity also benefits civil agencies like NASA. “Focusing on different areas and sharing solutions is definitely the way forward,” he said.