North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he would boost national defenses to cope with what he called an unprecedented U.S.-led confrontation. The services have newly confirmed leaders heading into 2024. The number of lawmakers with military experience has steadily declined since the 1970s. The Space Force plans to award contracts in two batches — one group next spring and one in the fall. The Air Force is laying the groundwork for a vast fleet of more than 1,000 autonomous drones that will fly alongside piloted fighters. The delays could have a cascading effect that hurts the Air Force’s ability to manage its units worldwide. The first B-21 flight came nearly a year after its highly publicized December 2022 debut in California. A special House panel has been examining the issue for the last year. Will the new chiefs win fans or fall flat? It was not until the 1944 introduction of the P-51 Mustang that B-17s would be regularly accompanied by fighter escorts. Load More