AFA Warfare Symposium 2026
Small B-52 Fleet Size Creates Challenges For Engine, Radar Upgrade Plans
With just some B-52s equipped for the nuclear mission and all of them in high demand around the globe, finding time to install the upgrades is an issue.
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Sponsored Content
General Atomics Is Turning The MQ-9 Reaper Family Of Drones Into “Cruise Missile Trucks”
Branded content: Giving MQ-9’s the ability to reach out over vast distances to launch standoff strikes after loitering for hours on its own is a unique capability for a tactical asset.
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Upgraded F-22 “Raptor 2.0” Details Seen In New Model
A scale model of the new-look F-22 Raptor reveals details of its new stealthy external fuel tanks and underwing infrared sensor pods.
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100 B-21 Stealth Bomber Fleet Size Target Unchanged For Now Despite Production Acceleration
The main goal of expanded B-21 production right now is getting the first Raiders fielded in 2027.
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AI Is Now Helping The F-35 Spot Enemy Air Defenses
New artificial intelligence technology is giving the F-35 the ability to pick out confusing threat emissions and get them properly identified faster.
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Anduril’s Fury Collaborative Combat Aircraft Is Now Flying With AIM-120 AMRAAM
The USAF says its Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone program has entered the weapons integration and captive carry testing phase.
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Talon Blue Is The New Name For Northrop Grumman’s YFQ-48A ‘Fighter Drone’
Talon harkens back to the company’s T-38 Talon heritage, while Blue is likely a reference to Tacit Blue, which was a technological leap at the dawn of the stealth age.
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Straight Talk On State Of U.S. Airlift Capabilities From General Who Ran Air Mobility Command
General Minihan’s frankness about the China threat ended his career, but now as a civilian, he has much more to say.
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Dark Merlin Is The Name Of General Atomics’ YFQ-42A Fighter Drone
Merlins are small but fierce birds that attack in groups and are known for their stealthy attacks.
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Major Deployment Of Rickety E-3 Sentry Fleet For Iran Crisis Highlights Worrisome Gaps
The shrunken E-3 fleet isn’t getting any younger, and a replacement is still far off while demand for its services would be far greater in the Pacific.
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X-68A LongShot Air-To-Air Missile-Carrying Drone Moves Closer To F-15 Launch
LongShot drones are also seen as a new way for bombers and cargo planes to engage aerial threats and reduce vulnerability.
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New GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator Parts Reverse Engineered From ATACMS Ballistic Missile Tech
Replacing GBU-57s dropped on Iran highlights issues that come from being locked into a single contractor, which the Pentagon is trying to change.
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C-17 Airlifts A Micro Nuclear Reactor For The First Time
Micro nuclear reactors are being seen as a way to get critical bases off the grid, but they could also have a major impact on civilian energy production.
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Mini Missiles Used To Shoot Down Incoming Missiles Eyed For USAF Tanker Fleet
Tankers are increasingly vulnerable as enemy long-range missiles evolve, leading the USAF to explore ‘hard kill’ solutions.
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USAF Ready To Make All B-52s Nuclear-Capable, Load ICBMs With Multiple Warheads If Directed
The end of New START treaty has left the U.S. nuclear arsenal unbounded for the first time in decades.
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B-21 Raider Future Insights From Global Strike Command’s Top General
The new head of Air Force Global Strike Command offers us an exclusive look at the B-21 program in his first interview since taking charge.
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New E-4C Doomsday Plane Could Take On Airborne ICBM Launcher Role
USAF requirements are being developed for planes to take on the ‘Looking Glass’ mission after the Navy retires its E-6Bs.
