Poland’s first stealth fighter jet F-35A “Hussar” presented
The war zone
Poland’s first stealth fighter, the F-35A – popularly known as the Husarz or Husar – was officially unveiled on August 28 at a ceremony at Lockheed Martin’s plant in Fort Worth, Texas. … The first aircraft, AZ-01, is scheduled to be delivered to the Polish Air Force in December.
Air Force splits intelligence and cyber effects organization
DefenseScoop
As part of sweeping Air Force changes aimed at being better equipped to deal with a sophisticated threat from China, the intelligence and cyber division will be split up on the Pentagon’s Air Staff. Like the Navy, the Air Force decided years ago to combine its intelligence function (known as 2) and its communications and networking function (known as 6) into the A2/6, which is headed by a three-star general. It has also added cyber divisions to that portfolio, resulting in an official title of deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and cyber effects operations.
Pentagon awards $280 million in grants for microelectronics prototypes under the CHIPS Act
Breaking through the defense
The U.S. Department of Defense’s research and development arm will soon announce more than a quarter billion dollars in CHIPS Act funding to build prototypes for advanced electronics, a key skill that the U.S. has outsourced almost entirely to foreign countries, the Pentagon’s chief director of microelectronics said Aug. 28.
Supplying the Air Force with energy
Magazine for Aerospace Forces
As the reach and threat from adversaries grows, the Air Force is placing increasing emphasis on ensuring its bases are energy resilient and able to generate combat power in any emergency. Learn more about how bases in the U.S. and around the world are ensuring their energy grids are more reliable and able to sustain strike power when needed.
The U.S. Air Force celebrates the 70th anniversary of the C-130 Hercules and prepares for the next phase
Stars and Stripes
Seventy years after its first flight on August 23, 1954, the C-130 Hercules remains one of the most rugged and versatile military aircraft in history. It has traveled to every continent and been used by over 70 nations, and there are no signs of its importance diminishing any time soon.
Guetlein outlines the US Space Force’s vision for “Allied by Design” space systems
SpaceNews
In contrast to the military’s historically siloed approach, the U.S. Space Force is actively pursuing expanded partnerships with allied nations to bolster space defense capabilities, a turning point for the U.S. military’s newest branch, Gen. Michael Guetlein, deputy chief of space operations, said Aug. 28.
AFWERX launches Buddy Tanker Pod for F-15
Aviation Week
A Boeing F-15 could be the first U.S. Air Force aircraft to experiment with a pod-and-boom air-to-air refueling system, with the contract awarded to a small Texas-based company on August 28.
The Air Force’s new tool will track the department’s AI initiatives and spending
Military.com
The Department of the Air Force has developed a new platform designed to improve visibility and understanding of artificial intelligence initiatives across the service. The new tool, called CLARA, is designed to centralize information sharing, track progress, and provide a space for collaboration among all stakeholders on various AI-related projects.
Does the Pentagon have a match with Hezbollah on Tinder?
Task & Purpose
Seamus Malekafzali, an American freelance journalist based in Beirut, Lebanon, opened Tinder one afternoon looking for a date. He was met by F-16 fighter jets and a deadly warning from the U.S. military. Malekafzali told Task & Purpose that he opened the dating app and the ad with the U.S. Central Command logo as a swipe option was waiting for him where other love interests would normally be. He posted photos of the ad on X.
