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Air Force

Musk “Needs to Learn A Little Bit More” About Operator Needs, Kendall Says

Frank Wolfe

Thursday, December 19th, 2024

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Musk “Needs to Learn A Little Bit More” About Operator Needs, Kendall Says

Israeli Air Force personnel await the launch of F-35I Adirs during a Red Flag exercise at Nellis AFB, Nev. on March 16, 2023 (U.S. Air Force Photo)

While top Trump advisor Elon Musk has suggested a near-term end to manned fighter aircraft, such as the F-35, and their replacement by artificial intelligence-enabled drones, former and current DoD officials have said that is unrealistic and that unmanned combat fleets are not ready for prime time. The U.S. Air Force is the military service that is perhaps the farthest down the unmanned road under Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall's more than two-year Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) effort. "I was…

Congress

Key Defense Committee Members Face Tight Midterm Races, Including HASC GOP’ers In Virginia

As the mid-term elections near with polls showing an increasing likelihood of a switch in majority control in the House and potentially the Senate, three Virginia Republicans on the House […]

‘Theoretical Potential’ to Achieve 1,509 Combat-Coded Fighters by 2035, USAF Says

In the latest U.S. Air Force fighter force structure report submitted to Congress, the service speaks of a “theoretical potential” to achieve a goal of 1,509 combat-coded fighters in the […]

Budget

Hegseth Pushes For Reconciliation With At Least $350 Billion For Defense ‘Regardless’ Of Midterms Outcome

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Wednesday the Trump administration plans to continue its push for at least $350 billion in defense funds via the reconciliation process “regardless of what happens […]

Congress

Bipartisan Push in Senate to Hasten Export of 155 mm, GMLRS, HIMARS for Ukraine

A small, bipartisan group of senators is backing the Fast Tracking European Investment in Ukraine’s Defense Act, S. 5175, to hasten the export of allied buys of U.S. munitions for […]