U.S. Air Force

Latest in U.S. Air Force

The U.S. Air Force has confirmed that it has, for the first time, used its new 5,000-pound-class GBU-72/B bunker-buster bomb in combat.

U.S. Used Its New 5,000-Pound Bunker Busters To Hit Iranian Anti-Ship Missile Sites: Reports

By Thomas Newdick, Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Mar 18, 2026

A KC-135 refueling tanker crashed in Iraq, according to CENTCOM.

KC-135 Tanker Crashes In Iraq During Operation Epic Fury Sortie (Updated)

By Howard Altman, Thomas Newdick, Joseph Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Mar 13, 2026

B-1B bomber used to strike Iran from RAF Fairford.

Epic Fury Day 11: U.S. Promises “Most Intense Day Of Strikes” On Iran

By Thomas Newdick, Tyler Rogoway

Updated on Mar 10, 2026

Kuwait F/A-18 shoot down up for debate.

Kuwaiti F/A-18’s Triple Friendly Fire Shootdown Gets Stranger By The Day

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 6, 2026

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has denied claims circulating online of the loss of another F-15E Strike Eagle, this time over enemy territory, as part of ongoing operations against Iran.

U.S. Denies F-15E Strike Eagle Went Down In Iran

By Howard Altman, Joseph Trevithick

Updated on Mar 5, 2026

Iran appears to be increasingly focusing its retaliatory attacks against energy production infrastructure in Gulf Arab States.

Gulf Arab States Under Pressure As Iranian Attacks Grind On (Updated)

By Joseph Trevithick, Thomas Newdick, Howard Altman

Updated on Mar 4, 2026

A U.S. Marine Corps F/A-18C Hornet assigned to Carrier Air Wing 17, deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68), flies over the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility during a mission in support of Operation Inherent Resolve Sept. 28, 2020. The F/A-18 is a highly versatile aircraft due to its avionics, cockpit displays, aerodynamic characteristics, and its ability to carry a wide variety of weapons. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Duncan C. Bevan)

Friendly-Fire Incidents Are Nothing New In Modern Air Warfare

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Mar 2, 2026

The U.S. Air Force now has at least 14 aerial refueling tankers forward-deployed in Israel ahead of potential strikes on Iran.

Israel’s Fighter Force Stands To Be Far More Effective With Full USAF Tanker Support In A War With Iran

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 28, 2026

Substantial demands placed on the relatively small B-52 create additional challenges when it comes to planning how to get those upgrades into service on operational aircraft.

Small B-52 Fleet Size Creates Challenges For Engine, Radar Upgrade Plans

By Joseph Trevithick

Posted on Feb 27, 2026

EA-37B Compass call next generation electronic attack jet.

This Is What The EA-37B Compass Call Electronic Attack Jet Can Actually Do

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Feb 26, 2026

USS Ford heads to Israel. (U.S. Navy photo)

USS Gerald R. Ford’s Imminent Arrival Off Israel Comes As Negotiations Grind On

By Howard Altman

Posted on Feb 26, 2026

U.S. Airmen assigned to the Florida Air National Guard’s 125th Fighter Wing arrive for Agile Combat Employment (ACE) training at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, Feb. 10, 2026. The 125th Fighter Wing accelerated its readiness timeframe ahead of a mission conversion deadline by deploying eight F-35A Lightning II aircraft, establishing joint-component interoperability with two active-duty U.S. Air Force units under the ACE concept.

Former Air Force Fighter Pilot And F-35 Instructor Charged With Training Chinese Military

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Feb 26, 2026

A U.S. Air Force F-15EX Eagle II flies over the Gulf of America, September 16, 2025. The F-15EX, from the 40th Flight Test Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, is one of the first F-15EXs in the Air Force, and is going through developmental and operational test series at Eglin to prepare the platform to be delivered to the warfighter.

General Running Air Force Reserve Wants Surplus F-15E Strike Eagles, New F-15EX Eagle IIs

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Feb 25, 2026

As well as a second aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, U.S. Air Force F-22 Raptors have also arrived in theater, according to multiple reports. The stealth jets took off from RAF Lakenheath in England yesterday, confirmed by open-source flight tracking data and aircraft spotters, and are now at an Israeli Air Force base in the south of Israel.

F-16s Arrive To Protect Diego Garcia, F-22s Forward Deploy To Israel

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Feb 25, 2026

Lockheed Martin has presented a scale model of the new-look F-22 Raptor fitted with stealthy external fuel tanks and underwing infrared sensor pods. Up to this point, the fuel tanks had been seen in renderings as well as at least one long-distance photo that revealed little in the way of details. The sensor pods had previously been seen at closer quarters during flight testing, as you can read about here.

Upgraded F-22 “Raptor 2.0” Details Seen In New Model

By Thomas Newdick

Posted on Feb 24, 2026

The official target size of the future B-21 Raider fleet remains 100 aircraft, despite an announcement that production of the stealth bomber is expanding, a U.S. Air Force official has confirmed to TWZ.

100 B-21 Stealth Bomber Fleet Size Target Unchanged For Now Despite Production Acceleration

By Joseph Trevithick, Howard Altman

Posted on Feb 24, 2026