Latest news with #SpaceForce
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
US Air Force to retire all A-10s, cancel E-7 under 2026 spending plan
The Air Force wants to retire its final 162 A-10 Warthog attack jets in fiscal 2026, as part of a plan to divest 340 total aircraft. The Pentagon also plans to cancel the E-7 Wedgetail program over what an official said were 'significant delays' and cost increases. The service released its list of planned aircraft retirements as the Pentagon released its belated 2026 budget plan, which calls for a $211 billion discretionary budget for the Department of the Air Force. That includes a $184.9 billion discretionary budget for the U.S. Air Force itself, and a $26.1 billion discretionary budget for the Space Force. The Pentagon also wants to add another $38.6 billion in 'mandatory' spending as part of the budget reconciliation bill, which would include $24.7 billion for the Air Force and $13.8 billion for the Space Force. If that passes, the department would receive $249.5 billion in total funding, which would be a 17.2% increase over enacted spending in 2025. But if the reconciliation bill does not pass, and the administration's request is enacted unchanged, the Space Force would see an 8.7% cut in spending from 2025, while the Air Force's spending would be virtually flat from the $184.1 billion enacted in 2025. If Congress grants the Air Force all of its requested retirements, it would be the biggest aircraft retirement in years. The service said earlier this year that, in response to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's order to cut and reallocate about 8% of defense spending, it planned to accelerate its plans to retire old and outdated aircraft. The plan to completely shutter the A-10 program would be a dramatic acceleration of the service's previous timeline, which would have retired all Warthogs by the end of this decade. And while lawmakers have in recent years acquiesced to Air Force requests to retire some Warthogs — after years of bitter disagreements between the service and Capitol Hill over the future utility of the jet — it remains far from clear whether Congress has the appetite to mothball all of the attack jets. In addition to the A-10s, the Air Force wants to retire 62 F-16Cs and Ds, 21 F-15Es, 13 F-15Cs and Ds, 14 C-130H Hercules cargo planes, and 3 EC-130H Compass Call electronic warfare planes. The service's retirement list also includes 14 KC-135 Stratotankers, 11 HH-60G combat rescue helicopters, 35 T-1 Texan trainers, 4 UH-1N helicopters and a B-1 Lancer. But the proposed retirement list does not include Block 20 F-22A Raptors, roughly 32 of which the Air Force has tried to retire in recent years over concerns that they are not combat-capable. Congress has repeatedly blocked those efforts. In a June 26 briefing with reporters, an Air Force official said the cost of an E-7 airborne battle management aircraft had grown from $588 million to $724 million, helping prompt its cancellation. The official said the department had concerns over whether it would survive in a contested environment. Instead, the Pentagon is looking for ways to accomplish the mission that would have been done by the Wedgetail with space-based assets, and adding more Northrop E-2D Hawkeye aircraft. This would be a major shift for the Air Force, which is retiring its aging E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control, or AWACS, aircraft and has for years seen the E-7 as the best successor. The budget would also call for $10.3 billion in spending for the B-21 Raider, the Northrop Grumman-made stealth bomber that will be capable of carrying nuclear weapons, and $4.2 billion for the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, which will replace the aging Minuteman III. Northrop is also building a Sentinel. Procurement funding for the B-21 would grow from $1.9 billion in 2025 to $2.6 billion in 2026, plus another $2.1 billion in reconciliation spending. If all spending is enacted by Congress, that would more than double the procurement budget for the Raider. The budget calls for $3.1 billion to keep procuring the F-15EX Eagle II, which the Air Force had previously considered winding down after 2025. The Pentagon next year wants to buy 21 of the Boeing-made jets, which are an updated version of the fourth-generation F-15E, up from 18 in 2025. The military plans to sharply cut its purchase of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to 47 across the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps in 2026. That would be down from 74 in 2025. For the Air Force, the F-35A procurement would be cut nearly in half, from 44 tails in 2025 to 24 next year. Air Force spending on the Lockheed Martin-made jet would drop from $4.5 billion this year to $3.6 billion in 2026. This would mean the Air Force would get 45 new fighters in 2026, which is below the benchmark of 72 annual fighter procurements the service says is necessary to modernize its fleet. The Pentagon said money that would have been spent on procuring more F-35s will instead go to sustainment of the jets, and ensuring it has a strong enough supply base to support all the needed operations and maintenance. The Pentagon also wants to dedicate money to ensuring the jets' Block 4 upgrades will stay on track. The Air Force's budget also includes $807 million in funding for its drone wingmen program, called Collaborative Combat Aircraft, which it hopes will accelerate development of platforms and autonomy. The service is also requesting a $73.2 billion discretionary budget and a $4.5 billion mandatory — or reconciliation bill — budget for operations and maintenance, $44.3 billion in discretionary spending and about $200 million in mandatory spending for personnel. The research development, test and evaluation budget would total $46.4 billion, including $36.2 billion in discretionary spending and $10.2 billion in mandatory spending. The F-47 fighter, also known as Next Generation Air Dominance, would see its R&D budget increase from $2.4 billion in 2025 to nearly $2.6 billion in 2026. If another $900 million in spending requested as part of the reconciliation bill passes, that would bring the Boeing-made F-47's budget to almost $3.5 billion. The service's total procurement budget request would reach $36.2 billion, or $26.5 billion in discretionary spending and $9.7 billion in reconciliation bill spending. With reconciliation spending included, the Air Force's procurement budget would include $24.8 billion for aircraft, $6.1 billion for missiles and $784 million for ammunition. The Air Force wants to buy 14 Boeing-made T-7A Red Hawk trainer aircraft for $362 million in 2026. But there would be no new funding for the E-7 airborne battle management aircraft, also made by Boeing, amid a disagreement between the service and top Pentagon leadership over whether space-based target tracking would be better than an airborne platform. The proposed budget would restore $387 million in funding for Lockheed's hypersonic AGM-183A Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon. This could resurrect a program that once seemed doomed after several failed tests in recent years. Procurement spending on the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP — which was used for the first time last weekend to strike multiple Iranian nuclear sites — would be slightly lower in 2026. The Air Force has nearly $8.6 million budgeted for the MOP in 2025, which would drop to $6.8 million in 2026.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Developing ‘Space Valley' here in New Mexico with the Air Force Research Lab
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – With the exception of about six people, the rest of the human race spends the majority of its time enjoying the comforts of planet Earth. With that said, some of those comforts wouldn't be available without intricate workings happening far above our heads in space. This week, Chad Brummett is joined by Gabe Mounce, Guardian with the Space Force and Air Force Research Lab, to talk about achieving national security objectives as well as the economic objective of creating 'Space Valley' here in our state. Learn more about the Air Force Research Lab and Space Force Mexico Frontiers Digital Show is KRQE New 13's online exclusive web series, giving viewers a more detailed look into how the state is making waves in the Aerospace, Bio-science, Renewable Energy, Digital Media and Film, and Advanced Manufacturing communities. For more segments on prior stories, visit the New Mexico Frontiers page by clicking this link. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Axios
5 days ago
- Politics
- Axios
Colorado braces for heightened threats after strikes on Iran
Colorado leaders are on high alert after Saturday's U.S. airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities and Monday's retaliatory missile attacks on an American military base in the Middle East. Why it matters: Colorado is home to some of the U.S. military's most critical infrastructure, including Space Force bases, satellite command centers and missile warning systems — all of which could be viewed as strategic targets if tensions escalate. What they're saying: The state "has not been made aware of any Colorado-specific threats" but is working with local and federal agencies to monitor for "suspicious activity" to the state's infrastructure and military assets, Gov. Jared Polis' spokesperson Shelby Wieman told Axios Denver on Monday. State of play: On Sunday, Polis and other U.S. governors were briefed by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following the release of a National Terrorism Advisory System bulletin outlining a heightened national threat environment. As of Monday, Denver International Airport remains in business-as-usual mode, a spokesperson told Axios Denver, with no changes to operations or security protocol. Context: That's because the U.S. State Department's new " Worldwide Caution" alert issued in the wake of Saturday's strikes is focused on potential threats to Americans and U.S. interests abroad, not domestic travel. DIA said it "will adhere to federal guidance should conditions change." Meanwhile, Denver's Office of Emergency Management is "actively monitoring the situation," spokesperson Loa Esquilin-Garcia told Axios, and encouraging the public "to be prepared, vigilant [and] aware of their surroundings, and to report suspicious activity to state and local law enforcement." Threat level: U.S. officials have warned of cyber attacks, travel disruptions, demonstrations and heightened security following the strikes. Zoom in: Colorado is a hub for national security assets, including: Buckley Space Force Base in Aurora, which houses the Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS) — the eyes and ears of the U.S. missile warning system. Schriever and Peterson Space Force Bases near Colorado Springs, which manage satellite operations, global communications and defense tracking. The Cheyenne Mountain Complex, a Cold War-era bunker that's still active as a secure backup for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). Between the lines: Colorado's high-value military footprint makes it a strategic asset — but also a potential vulnerability — in any conflict where space-based systems and communications infrastructure may be in the crosshairs. What we're watching: Any signals of increased security in sensitive areas, including places of worship, and growing protest activity. Already, at least one rally denouncing the U.S. strikes took place Sunday outside the state Capitol in Denver.
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Straits Times
‘American deterrence is back': The message that will strike Asia
US President Donald Trump in the White House Situation Room on June 21. Mr Trump said on the same day that US forces had struck three Iranian nuclear sites. PHOTO: EPA-EFE Follow our live coverage here. American deterrence is back, said US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon briefing on Sunday that laid out the details of the US strikes on Iran. 'The scope and breadth of what happened will take your breath away. Planes flew from the middle of America (all the way to Iran) almost undetected,' he added. It is a message that will resonate around the world, but principally in Asia. Long used to cartography as defined in Western terms, the world refers to the area Iran is in as the Middle East. In truth, it is in West Asia - and that should not be missed, as we digest the day's events. The first use of the MOPs bombs and the second-ever use of the B-2 bombers in war have both taken place in Asia, the first time being in Afghanistan. The level of planning that went into this operation, from the ruses that had some B2s heading toward the Pacific while another 'package' headed to West Asia to the integrated deployment of hard military assets over land, undersea and in the air, alongside cyber and space resources - both the Space Force and the Space Command were involved, carrier strike groups shuffled around with swift efficiency - all bespeak a force that, despite all the talk of suffering some degradation in recent years, remains an unparalleled military machine in its lethality. To add to that, US President Donald Trump has signalled clearly that although he abhors war and peace is his principal preference, he is willing to use his men and materiel to force his will upon a situation. Suddenly, Mr Hegseth's speech at the recent Shangri-La Dialogue about Indo Pacific being the 'priority theatre' and Mr Trump's mission being 'restore the warrior ethos, rebuild our military and reestablish deterrence' does not look all about empty warnings clothed in puffy language. The Asian leader likely to be most nervous about what has taken place will be North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, whom I have described before as 'the boy with the nuclear toy'. But allies, partners, and rivals all will study the developments closely, and make their own assessments. In Japan, the 'spear and shield' defence relationship with the US - the Americans as the spear and Japan providing the security shield for US forces - which some thought was at risk of wearing thin under this American president, will likely take on a new credibility. China will be compelled to take additional measures to not only protect its nuclear sites and underground submarine bases, but also worry about what this awesome military machine can do to the military facilities it has built in the South China Sea. In South Asia, Indians and Pakistanis will not sleep easy for awhile. If Mr Trump asks New Delhi to talk Kashmir with Islamabad, it cannot easily ignore the request. This president, since he allows him no boundaries set by international rules, norms, or decorum, will pursue his ends without regard to the means. It is what makes him both so troublesome to handle, and also to be feared. Russia, whose territory falls both in Europe and East Asia, also will study the developments closely. Moscow will draw comfort that it is the vast nuclear resources it owns, and the delivery mechanisms it possesses, that has Mr Trump's respect and gives it the elbow room to stretch his patience over his thus far futile attempts to broker peace between Russia and Ukraine. That insight will not be lost on China. Sadly, I am inclined to think that the fundamental message we were delivered by Mr Trump - 'peace through strength' - will mean a ramping up of deterrence capabilities across the board at enormous cost, not reduce the risk of conflict but elevate it. Ravi Velloor is senior columnist at The Straits Times. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Washington Post
6 days ago
- Science
- Washington Post
Transgender troops want to keep serving. Trump is forcing them out.
U.S. Space Force Master Sgt. Sabrina Bruce didn't know her life was about to change forever when she got into her car last month to head to the Pentagon and reenlist for another six years. Bruce, 34, was excited to continue a career that had set her on a life-altering path. She'd enlisted in the Air Force in 2013 to escape her gender dysphoria, she said, referring to the medical term for the distress felt when one's sex assigned at birth does not align with their gender. Instead, she found a culture that empowered her to come out as a transgender woman.
