Latest Air force News

In this photo released by the U.S. Air Force, Capt. Ryan Vickers stands for a photo to display his new service tapes after taking his oath of office to transfer from the U.S. Air Force to the U.S. Space Force at Al-Udeid Air Base, Qatar, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. Space Force, the first new U.S. military service since the creation of the Air Force in 1947, now has some 20 members stationed at Qatar's Al-Udeid Air Base in its first foreign deployment. (Staff Sgt. Kayla White/U.S. Air Force via AP)

US Space Force deploys to vast new frontier: Arabian Desert

Sep. 21, 2020 2:01 AM EDT

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — The newly formed U.S. Space Force is deploying troops to a vast new frontier: the Arabian Peninsula. Space Force now has a squadron of 20 airmen stationed at Qatar's Al-Udeid Air Base in its first foreign deployment. The force, pushed by President Donald Trump,...

In this photo released by the Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu pose for a selfie with U.S. Under Secretary of State Keith Krach, right, during a meeting in Taipei, Taiwan, Friday, Sept. 18, 2020. China's military sent 18 planes including fighter jets over the Taiwan Strait in an unusually large show of force Monday as a U.S. envoy held a day of closed-door meetings on the self-governing island claimed by China. (Taiwan Ministry of Foreign Affairs via AP)

China flies 18 warplanes near Taiwan during US envoy's visit

Sep. 18, 2020 8:09 AM EDT

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — China’s military sent 18 planes including fighter jets over the Taiwan Strait in an unusually large show of force Friday as a U.S. envoy held a day of closed-door meetings on the self-governing island claimed by China. Under Secretary of State Keith Krach, who handles the...

A U.S. Air Force B-52 Stratofortress bomber, assigned to the 96th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron, deployed from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, lands during exercise Lightning Focus at Royal Australian Air Force Base (RAAF) in Darwin, Australia, Dec. 6, 2018. The U.S. Air Force flew three B-1 heavy bombers over the East Siberian Sea, north of Russia’s far east, as part of recent maneuvers that the military said Friday are meant to demonstration of American capabilities and ability to support allies, but which a Russian commander blasted as “hostile and provocative.” The flight of the three Texas-based U.S. Air Force Reserve B-1 Lancer bombers on Thursday followed a similar mission a week ago in which three temporarily Britain-based B-52 bombers were flown over Ukrainian airspace, near Russia’s western flank. (U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Christopher Quail via AP)

US flies heavy B-1 Lancer bombers over East Siberian Sea

Sep. 11, 2020 10:20 AM EDT

BERLIN (AP) — The U.S. Air Force flew three B-1 heavy bombers over the East Siberian Sea, north of Russia's far east, as part of a series of recent maneuvers that the military said Friday are meant to demonstrate American capabilities and ability to support allies, but which a top Russian commander blasted...

This photo released by the semi-official Fars News Agency shows Iranian troops participating in a military drill near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, Iran, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. Units from the navy, air force and ground forces are participating in a nearly 2 million-square-kilometer (772,200-square-mile) area of the Gulf of Oman. (Mehdi Marizad/Fars News Agency via AP)

Iran begins expansive annual war games amid tensions with US

Sep. 10, 2020 7:26 AM EDT

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s military Thursday began an expansive annual three-day exercise near the strategic Strait of Hormuz, state TV reported, with the maneuvers taking place amid heightened tensions between the Islamic Republic and the U.S. Units from the navy, air force and ground forces are...

President Donald Trump waves as he leaves at West Palm Beach International Airport, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump planning to withdraw more US troops from Iraq

Sep. 8, 2020 10:06 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration will announce Wednesday that it is withdrawing additional troops from Iraq, as President Donald Trump tries to make good on his campaign promise to disentangle the country from “endless wars.” A senior administration official discussed the draw-down...

Air Force awards $13.3 billion contract for nuclear missiles

Sep. 8, 2020 7:26 PM EDT

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force on Tuesday awarded a $13.3 billion contract for engineering and development work on a replacement for the Minuteman 3 missile, which has operated continuously for half a century as a key part of the nuclear force. Critics call the replacement project wasteful and dangerous....

A social distancing sign is seen on the floor as a midshipman walks to class at Luce Hall at the U.S. Naval Academy, Monday, Aug. 24, 2020, in Annapolis, Md. Under the siege of the coronavirus pandemic, classes have begun at the Naval Academy, the Air Force Academy and the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. But unlike at many colleges around the country, most students are on campus and many will attend classes in person. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

At military academies, COVID-19 is the enemy to be defeated

Sep. 1, 2020 12:13 AM EDT

ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — As eight Navy midshipmen file into their economics class, instructor Kurtis Swope points to the antibacterial wipes on the desk. “Did you grab wipes?” he asks, then tells each one to take two, wipe down the desk when they arrive and again when they leave. “That...

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas holds a press conference following the informal talks of the EU Foreign Ministers in Berlin, Germany, Friday, Aug. 28, 2020. The topics of the so-called Gymnich meeting included developments in Belarus and the dispute over natural gas in the eastern Mediterranean between Turkey and the EU states of Greece and Cyprus. (Kay Nietfeld/dpa via AP)

EU urges Turkey to stop drilling in Med, ponders sanctions

Aug. 28, 2020 3:03 PM EDT

BERLIN (AP) — The European Union on Friday urged Turkey to halt what it called its “illegal” prospecting activities in contested waters in the eastern Mediterranean and ordered EU officials to speed up work aimed at blacklisting Turkish officials linked to the energy exploration. Tensions are...

Texas gunman had history of violence years before shooting

Aug. 26, 2020 6:12 PM EDT

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — The man who killed more than 20 people at a Texas church shooting massacre in 2017 had threatened violence years earlier and was “completely obsessed with mass shootings," according to federal court documents. Devin Kelley killed 26 people and wounded 20 others on Nov. 5, 2017,...

Conservative Party Leader Erin O'Toole speaks after his win at the leadership election, in Ottawa, Ontario, early Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press via AP)

Former veterans affairs chief to lead Canada's Conservatives

Aug. 24, 2020 12:36 PM EDT

VANCOUVER, Canada (AP) — Former Veterans Affairs Minister Erin O’Toole has been elected leader of Canada's opposition Conservative Party in a vote whose results were delayed by technical problems. The party used an all-mail-in ballot Sunday to choose O’Toole, 47, to face Prime Minister Justin...

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