Stephen Losey

Springfield

@defense_news air warfare reporter, amateur musician, all-around nerd. Tips always welcome: slosey at defensenews dot com or stephenlosey at protonmail dot com.

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Articles

Senate confirms Meink as next Air Force secretary

1 day ago | defensenews.com | Stephen Losey

The Senate on Tuesday confirmed Troy Meink as the next Air Force secretary in a 74-25 vote, with multiple Democrats breaking ranks to vote for President Donald Trump’s nominee. Meink, who previously served as deputy director of the National Reconnaissance Office, will now take charge of the Air Force and Space Force. He has a deep background in acquisition and technology development specializing in space and also served as NRO’s director of signals intelligence systems acquisition.
Experts: Qatar-gifted Air Force One may be security, upgrade disaster

2 days ago | defensenews.com | Stephen Losey

Converting a Qatar-donated Boeing 747 into a new Air Force One for President Donald Trump could require vast sums of money, take years to complete and may introduce alarming capability shortcomings and security vulnerabilities into the chief executive’s aircraft, aviation experts said.
KC-46 vision system upgrade slips to 2027, 3 years behind schedule

1 week ago | airforcetimes.com | Stephen Losey

The KC-46 Pegasus refueling tanker’s troubled remote vision system is now unlikely to see a replacement upgrade until summer 2027, the Air Force said, putting the Boeing program more than three years behind schedule. An Air Force spokesperson confirmed in an email Wednesday that the current projection for fielding the system, known as RVS 2.0, is roughly two years away, but did not say what is causing the latest schedule slip. Boeing referred questions to the Air Force.
KC-46 vision system upgrade slips to 2027, 3 years behind schedule

1 week ago | defensenews.com | Stephen Losey

The KC-46 Pegasus refueling tanker’s troubled remote vision system is now unlikely to see a replacement upgrade until summer 2027, the Air Force said, putting the Boeing program more than three years behind schedule. An Air Force spokesperson confirmed in an email Wednesday that the current projection for fielding the system, known as RVS 2.0, is roughly two years away, but did not say what is causing the latest schedule slip. Boeing referred questions to the Air Force.
Sentinel nuclear missiles will need new silos, Air Force says

1 week ago | defensenews.com | Stephen Losey

The Air Force will have to dig entirely new nuclear missile silos for the LGM-35A Sentinel, creating another complication for a troubled program that is already facing future cost and schedule overruns. The Air Force originally hoped the existing silos that have housed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles could be adapted to launch Sentinel missiles, which would be more efficient than digging entirely new silos.
US Air Force sending ‘boneyard’ F-16s to Ukraine for spare parts

1 week ago | defensenews.com | Stephen Losey

The U.S. Air Force is pulling old and nonoperational F-16s out of its airplane graveyard known as “the boneyard” to send to Ukraine for spare parts. An Air Force spokesperson confirmed the donated F-16s are coming from the service’s 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona.
Defense firms closely watching tariffs, but split on potential sting

1 week ago | defensenews.com | Stephen Losey

Major defense contractors appear to be split on the potential impact of the Trump administration’s tariffs, with one major firm bracing for hundreds of millions in potential lost profits, while others predict minimal effects. In an April 22 earnings call with investors, executives from RTX Corp. — formerly known as Raytheon — predicted $850 million in losses if tariffs stay in effect for the rest of 2025.
Air Force starts ground testing Anduril collaborative combat aircraft

1 week ago | defensenews.com | Stephen Losey

The Air Force has started ground testing its first Anduril-made semiautonomous drone wingmen known as collaborative combat aircraft, which could be flying within months. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Dave Allvin announced the beginning of the ground testing phase in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Thursday morning. It included a video of hangar doors opening dramatically to reveal Anduril Industries’ YFQ-44A, which the company previously referred to as Fury.
Army pilot claims he distributed LSD for religious reasons

2 weeks ago | militarytimes.com | Stephen Losey

An Army Black Hawk pilot who was indicted by a grand jury for allegedly distributing LSD argued in court he has the religious right to consume the psychedelic drug as a sacrament and sell it on the dark web. Federal prosecutors accused 1st Lt. Kyle Norton Riester of conspiring with others to distribute 10 grams or more of LSD, according to an indictment filed April 24 by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
GOP funding boost targets Golden Dome, high-tech fighters and ships

2 weeks ago | defensenews.com | Courtney Albon |Stephen Losey |Noah Robertson

Republican lawmakers are proposing major increases for top Pentagon priorities in their $150 billion budget reconciliation package — pushing funding toward efforts like Golden Dome, advanced fighter jet and drone procurement, shipbuilding and munitions production. The House Armed Services Committee will debate the package Tuesday as part of a process called reconciliation, which allows the party with a congressional majority to fast-track legislation without risking a filibuster.