Author: Braxton Taylor

The Air Force is resurrecting its boost-glide missile program—an effort first launched to much fanfare in August 2018, only to see mixed results in testing and ultimately lose support from service leadership amid investment in alternative missiles.The AGM-183A Air-Launched Rapid Response Weapon, or ARRW, is one of two hypersonic concepts the Air Force is developing now, service head Gen. David Allvin told lawmakers Thursday. “You will see [them] in the budget submission, assuming it’s what we had put forward,” he said, also hinting at two other classified systems currently in testing.The Air Force first awarded Lockheed Martin a $480 million…

Airmen who watched over America’s nuclear intercontinental ballistic missiles in Cold War-era facilities faced marginally higher risk of cancer due to contaminants found there and more workplace oversight is needed, according to the latest findings of an Air Force health study.Air Force Global Strike Command, during a town hall event Wednesday, released the latest data showing the slightly elevated cancer risk as part of its ongoing probe into health concerns for America’s missileers, maintainers and other support roles at several bases in the Midwest and Western U.S.The lifetime cancer risk for all Americans is around 39%, and the Air Force’s…

A Virginia waterfowl hunter has been fined nearly $10,000 for killing at least 20 birds of prey in 2023, including a bald eagle.William Custis Smith of Accomack County had built a pond on his property to attract ducks, but he wasn’t the only hunter interested in this spot: the hawks and eagles in the area were taking a higher toll on waterfowl numbers than he could tolerate.To eliminate the competition, Smith laced dead fish with a banned neurotoxin called carbofuran and set those fish out for the raptors to eat, killing several hawks and at least one eagle.When Virginia Conservation…

Army senior leaders took scores of questions from both houses of Congress this week, part of a yearly ritual to justify the service’s budget request. But they didn’t have a lot of answers on the service’s recently announced transformation initiative, which aims to shed unwanted programs, field new tech and cut uniformed and civilian positions.The service hasn’t provided detailed plans on how it would execute the Army Transformation Initiative, nor has the Pentagon released its fiscal year 2027 budget. So despite hours of hearings, few specifics emerged.“When I say that we share your goal of developing a more modern, agile,…

Now that the spring gobbler season has come and gone and the heat of summer settles in, many hunters stash their gear and count the days until the opening morning of deer season. However, the off-season doesn’t mean hunters should take a break. In fact, summer may be the most underrated time to scout, strategize, and prepare for a successful fall.I’ll admit it, I start getting excited for fall long before it arrives. While most people spend the hot, humid days of summer relaxing at the beach, swimming in the river, or lounging by the pool, I find my thoughts…

It will cost about $400 million to convert a luxury jet from Qatar into an Air Force One, the Air Force’s top civilian leader said today—a price tag far lower than previous estimates. The Pentagon recently accepted a Boeing 747 from the Qatari government to use as a presidential jet for President Trump, a proposition that current and former Air Force officials have said could cost more than $1 billion, since it needs to be stripped to check for bugs then loaded with encrypted communications, defensive capabilities, and other classified systems. But the Air Force “believes” it will cost “less than $400…

As the AI competition between the United States and China heats up, Vladimir Putin is desperate to have a horse in the race. The Russian president views AI as a core pillar of Moscow’s long-term plan to challenge Western dominance. After three years of Western sanctions devastating Russia’s economy, spurring a massive brain drain and hindering the country’s innovative capacity, Moscow has turned to the BRICS bloc, whose founding members include Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, to build a parallel AI ecosystem. Washington must stop viewing BRICS as a politically benign organization and recognize that it is a powerful vehicle for Moscow to expand its…

Viktos has unveiled the Counteract CCW Messenger Bag, a new solution for discreet firearm carry along with everyday-carry essentials. This new bag caters to professionals who prioritize safety without compromising on functionality. The Counteract CCW Messenger Bag is grafted from durable 500 denier ripstop polyester and is weather- and stain-resistant for longevity and reliability in a wide variety of environments. The layout includes a removable Outright tray, allowing users to easily customize their load outs, while a dedicated Hookie holster is integrated with interior hook-and-loop panels to provide secure storage for firearms and accessories. At the rear is a zipper…

Galco Gunleather is now selling its Galco Triton 3.0 Kydex holsters to accommodate single-stack, 1911-pattern pistols with 3-inch barrels.  The Galco Triton 3.0 is a modern concealment holster designed for concealed carry in mind and can be used in either the IWB or AIWB positions. As the 3.0 model, it’s the latest iteration of Galco’s previous Triton 2.0 models. This more recent version is not only designed to accommodate carry guns with slide-mounted red-dot optics (and their often taller back up iron sights), but it has also been tweaked to improve comfort and utility in the modern AIWB carry position.…

New commander nominations for CENTCOM, AFRICOM, and NATO. Deputy chief of Central Command Navy Vice Adm. Brad Cooper was chosen by Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth to lead CENTCOM at the conclusion of Gen. Erik Kurilla’s term at the Tampa-based headquarters; and Hegseth nominated Air Force Lt. Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson to take over for AFRICOM’s Gen. Michael Langley, the Pentagon announced Wednesday. Anderson currently works at the Pentagon’s Joint Staff as director of Joint Force Development. Anderson oversaw a shuffling of U.S. troops in Somalia during the end of Trump’s first term. That effort was known as Joint Task Force-Quartz. At…