Cancers Disproportionately Prevalent Among Air and Ground Crews

A study undertaken by the Pentagon has identified worryingly high rates of cancer among U.S. military pilots and aviation support personnel—such as aircraft maintainers, fuelers, and those responsible for launch and retrieval operations aboard U.S. Navy aircraft carriers. The data—long-sought by retired military aviators who’ve persistently raised alarms vis-à-vis the disproportionately high incidence of cancer among themselves and their air and ground crew comrades—contradicts former Pentagon assertions that personnel engaged in military flight operations are at no greater cancer risk than the general U.S. population.

USAF States Program Remains on Schedule

U.S. Air Force secretary Frank Kendall conceded during an address at the McAleese & Associates conference in Washington D.C. that the first flight of the service’s new B-21 Raider sixth-generation, strategic stealth bomber had "slipped from the original schedule" but remains within the project’s baseline development schedule and cost.

A-10s, F-22s on the Outs with Orders for F-35s, KC-36s, and F-15EXs

The Air Force's FY2024 budget of 215 billion appears to have made some harsh selections in fleet sizing, with plans to eliminate 32 Block 20 F22A Raptors, 57 F-15C and D model Eagles, and 42 A-10 Warthogs. The budget also looks to buy 14 KC-46A Pegasus tankers, 7 MH-139A Grey Wolf helicopters, 24 F-15EX Eagle IIs, 48 F-35A Joint Strike Fighters, and a single E-11A BACN. The choice to slash the fleets of two enthusiast favorites, the A-10 and F-22, will likely be a hard pill to swallow for some.