The shortfall makes it more difficult for the service to fill a pilot shortage of around 2,000 people that has persisted for years. Key to benchmarking the Air Force’s future communication abilities is the Shadow Operations Center-Nellis, or ShOC-N, in Nevada. The Air Force secretary wants his department to start implementing changes by January 2024 and move rapidly that year. Lawmakers are warning that a political budget fight could have severe financial consequences for troops and their dependents. The Senate added a slimmed-down version of this proposal to its NDAA, and the Air Force is talking to the House to ensure it stays in the final version. The official noted the Biden administration is "closely considering" sending long-range capabilities to Ukraine. The U.S. Air Force should consider additional uses for its planned fleet of drone wingmen beyond just flying them alongside fighter jets, a general says. The F-35 Joint Program Office says the upgraded jet is showing software troubles in flight tests, prompting it to push the schedule back. The F-15EX took part in 19 large-force events to test how well it could integrate with fifth-generation aircraft and fire missiles. GhostEye MR is a medium-range radar that can detect, track and identify threats including cruise missiles and drones. Load More