NATO Air Policing operations

U.S. Air Force News

  • Air Force announces 2019 Safety Awards

    Maj. Gen. John T. Rauch Jr., Air Force Chief of Safety, recently announced the recipients of the Secretary of the Air Force, Chief of Staff of the Air Force Safety Awards and the Air Force Chief of Safety Awards for 2019.

  • VCSAF meets with nuclear scientists, engineers about future operations

    The visit gave the leaders an opportunity to discuss future operations and algorithmic warfare – the method by which battles are fought using artificial intelligence and machine learning as a weapon system – with members of the Defense Department’s sole nuclear treaty monitoring center and the

  • Vandenberg AFB awarded best DoD fire department for 7th time

    As a space wing, Vandenberg Air Force Base lacks the aircraft and heavy use of its runway that would reflect greatly on a fire department during award season. Even in the lack of these two arenas, the 30th Civil Engineer Squadron fire department has been awarded not only the “Best Fire Department in

  • Space Flag holds first exercise with coalition partners

    Space Flag 19-3 integrated approximately 160 coalition participants, observers and distinguished guests in Air Force Space Command’s “Fight Tonight” exercise focused on using current capabilities to deter, deny and disrupt adversarial actions in the space domain.

  • AFSPC rolls out new enterprise data strategy

    The command’s enterprise data strategy will provide the means to ensure greater mission success. It is a framework that integrates space enterprise data sources into a common, resilient and agile architecture optimized for space domain awareness and responsive multi-domain operations at speed and

  • Donovan visits the ‘World’s Premier Gateway to Space’

    50 years after the U.S. first put man on the moon, Acting Secretary of the Air Force Matthew Donovan – along with Vice President of the United States Mike Pence, NASA employees and thousands watching across the world – looked back on this historic moment at the Apollo 11 anniversary event at the

  • Vice President Pence visits Vandenberg AFB

    Vice President Michael R. Pence made his way to the Combined Space Operations Center where he was greeted by Maj. Gen. Stephen N. Whiting, 14th Air Force commander, and received briefings on the evolution of launch operations at the Western Range and CSpOC operations, which concluded with an

  • Providing access to space through innovation

    The U.S. Air Force and Space Command are powered by innovation. Because of this, Vandenberg Air Force Base is continually making improvements to base facilities, equipment and the way Airmen and mission partners do their job in order to complete the space mission.

  • Women in space: Enhancing capability through diversity

    The symposium featured its third Women’s Global Gathering in Colorado Springs, Colorado that included Brig. Gen. Deanna Burt, Air Force Space Command director of operations and communications, Ms. Krista Paquin, former NASA deputy associate administrator and Dr. Michelle Parker, vice president and

  • Blue Grit podcast features stories of resilience, strength

    You may have noticed a recent addition to the Air Force Portal homepage. A logo depicting a warrior looking over his shoulder with a fighter jet above him. It’s the face of the Blue Grit podcast. The podcast is the brainchild of Maj. Anna Fedotova, Los Angeles Air Force Base psychologist.

  • Around the Air Force: Disaster Funding/Space Command Nomination

    On this look Around the Air Force, Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson testifies to the U.S. House Armed Services Committee on the need for additional funds after two bases were hit by natural disasters and Gen. John Raymond is nominated to become the commander of U.S. Space Command.

  • AFSPC hosts Space Futures Workshop

    The Air Force Space Command Space Futures Workshop was held at the U.S. Air Force Academy, March 19-21, giving experts the chance to collaborate and predict what space will look like in the next 20-40 years.

  • 2018 Air Force Safety Awards announced

    Maj. Gen. John T. Rauch Jr., Air Force chief of safety, recently announced the recipients of the five Secretary of the Air Force and Chief of Staff Safety Awards, as well as the Chief of Safety Awards for 2018.

  • Air Force awards $739M launch service contracts

    The U.S. Air Force’s Space and Missile Systems Center (SMC), in partnership with the National Reconnaissance Office, awarded two Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) launch service contracts Feb. 19.

  • Growing Air Force’s space medicine culture

    As space continues to play an increasingly critical role in our nation’s defense, the need for the space medicine specialty grows. Medical Airmen within U.S. Air Force Space Command are making sure space operators are ready for future readiness requirements.

  • First GPS III satellite successfully launched

    The Air Force and its mission partners successfully launched the first Global Positioning Systems III satellite Dec. 23 from Space Launch Complex-40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The Lockheed Martin-built satellitewas carried to orbit aboard a Space Exploration Technologies

  • AFSPC assumes COMSATCOM procurement responsibility for DoD

    The Air Force Space Command commander assumed responsibility for procurement of commercial satellite communications services for the Department of Defense from the Director of the Defense Information Systems Agency December 12. The move is in accordance with Section 1601(a) of the Fiscal Year 2018

  • STPSat-5 successfully launched from Vandenberg AFB

    The Air Force and its mission partners successfully launched Space Test Program Satellite 5, or STPSat-5, into orbit via Spaceflight Industries’ fully dedicated smallsat rideshare mission aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle on Dec. 3 from Space Launch Complex 4E, Vandenberg Air Force Base,

  • PACAF wins Air Force Defender Challenge

    The U.S. Pacific Air Forces Command came out on top among 14 international security forces teams to win the Air Force Defender Challenge Championship Sept. 10-13 at Joint Base San Antonio-Camp Bullis, Texas.

  • Determined to make a better life

    Growing up in Gilroy, California, she had everything a girl could wish for: money, designer clothes and so much more. Shortly after high school graduation, her father took everything from her and kicked her to the streets.

  • Hague, Ovchinin talk ISS mission during presser

    Surrounded by media representatives and audience members, Col. Nick Hague, NASA astronaut, and Alexey Ovchinin, Russian Roscosmos cosmonaut, discussed their upcoming trip to space during a news conference at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, June 18, 2018.

  • CMSAF Wright gives all call at Peterson AFB

    Airmen arrived early to fill the base auditorium seats at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, for an all call with Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force Kaleth O. Wright, March 6, 2018.

  • National Space Defense Center transitions to 24/7 operations

    Less than a year after changing the name of the Joint Interagency Combined Space Operations Center to the National Space Defense Center, the NSDC transitioned to 24/7 operations on Jan. 8, 2018, marking a significant step for the expanding, interagency team focused on protecting and defending the

  • Things are looking up at Arctic Air Base

    Recent missile threats to the United States have the military looking up to its northern most installation, Thule Air Base, Greenland. It’s there that the Air Force monitors the skies for missiles from its Arctic location strategically positioned at the halfway point between Washington, D.C. and

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: Operation Santa

    FORT GEORGE G. MEADE, Md. (AFNS) – What started as a simple typo, turned into yearly tradition where every year the North American Aerospace Defense Command helps children all over the world track Santa. Track Santa this year at www.noradsanta.org.Yesterday's Air Force is a history and heritage

  • SECAF talks space during POC conference

    Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson addressed the importance of the Air Force’s space mission during the 2017 Potomac Officers Club Space Innovations, Programs and Policies Summit in Washington, D.C., Oct. 18, 2017.

  • 18th Space Control Squadron: Keeping watch up above

    The 18th Space Control Squadron located at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, is a geographically separated unit of the 21st Space Wing, Peterson AFB, Colorado. The squadron provides situational awareness on thousands of items filling the skies while life moves along for those on Earth’s

  • Space commanders address operations, importance at AFA

    Several of the Air Force’s space commanders spoke on a panel about the significance of Air Force space operations and its undeniable importance to national defense during the Air Force Association Air, Space and Cyber Conference Sept. 19, 2017.

  • 45th SW launches 5th OTV mission

    The 45th Space Wing successfully launched a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle Sept. 7, 2017, from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A.

  • Cyberspace critical to nuclear treaty monitoring

    The Air Force Technical Applications Center here is charged with ensuring each and every nation across the globe complies with the ban on nuclear weapons testing, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Members of AFTAC answer that call without fail – monitoring nuclear treaty compliance is their

  • 1st ASTS provides critical support for Minotaur launch at Cape

    The 1st Air and Space Test Squadron at Vandenberg Air Force Base will be assisting with the first ever Minotaur IV launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The 1st ASTS team coordinated the transport for the first three stages of the engine to Cape Canaveral AFS where they will provide

  • AFSPC initiative destroys barriers to bolster Airmen innovation

    In a move to encourage Airmen to come forward with innovative thinking, a new decision panel will allow Airmen at all levels within Air Force Space Command to present ideas that could enhance the mission, save time, increase customer satisfaction, save the Air Force money, or anything that can

  • AF rolls out fiscal 2018 space budget

    Air Force leaders met with media to discuss specifics of the service’s fiscal 2018 space investment budget at the Pentagon May 24, 2017. The request totals $7.75 billion, an approximately 20 percent increase from fiscal year 2017.

  • 45th Space Wing enables nation's space mission

    Space launches may soon be an almost weekly sight on Florida's Space Coast. As the need for space lift grows globally, partnerships between the Air Force, other government agencies and the commercial space industry are enhancing the 45th Space Wing's vision of remaining the world's premier gateway

  • Around the Air Force: April 21

    On this look around the Air Force, a U.S. Air Force Academy grad treks to space, the 10th African Partnership Flight kicks off and the 2017 Air Force photo contest opens soon.

  • Around the Air Force: April 14

    On this look around the Air Force, Gen. Jay Raymond, the Air Force Space Command commander, unveils three major space initiatives and the U.S. Air Force will partner with the Royal Air Force and French air force for Atlantic Trident 2017.

  • AF begins migrating email to cloud-based system in 2017

    The dreaded “your mailbox is full” message is soon to be a thing of the past under a recent directive by the Air Force Space Command to realign resources to more critical priorities and outsourcing services like email.

  • Goldfein visits Vandenberg AFB

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David L. Goldfein, recently visited Vandenberg Air Force Base to meet with base personnel and visit a portion of the Air Force Space Enterprise, from Jan. 29-30.

  • 45th SW supports successful Atlas V GOES-R launch

    The 45th Space Wing supported NASA’s successful launch of the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R spacecraft aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Space Launch Complex 41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, Nov. 19.

  • STRATCOM welcomes Hyten as new commander

    Gen. John E. Hyten took command of U.S. Strategic Command from Navy Adm. Cecil D. Haney during a change of command ceremony at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, Nov. 3.

  • Raymond takes command of AFSPC

    Gen. John W. Raymond replaced Gen. John E. Hyten as commander of the U.S. Air Force Space Command during a ceremony at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, Oct. 25.

  • Taking the fight to the cyberspace frontier

    In a highly secure, underground facility in Colorado Springs, crews of operators in a room full of computers keep an ever vigilant eye, protecting worldwide U.S. assets around the clock. This facility is not underneath tons of granite in the midst of Cheyenne Mountain, like a more well-known part of

  • Standing vigilant from the top of the world

    Stretching from the confines of Thule Air Base, Greenland, the northernmost U.S. military installation hundreds of miles above the Arctic Circle, a dirt road trails steadily upward and to the northwest. Following the road for about a dozen miles across sparse, barren tundra resembling a moonscape

  • Colorado stands in for Afghanistan during pilot training

    The 81st Fighter Squadron from Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, spent two weeks at Peterson AFB training six Afghan Air Force pilots to fly A-29 Super Tucano. The pilots are participating in a program that began in 2015 and will ultimately train 30 pilots and 90 maintainers through 2018. Most training

  • Don’t mess with mama bear

    Leadership is not an innate quality and there is no true recipe for success in regards to it. Leadership takes on many forms. Leadership has no preferred race, religion, ethnicity nor gender. Blind to any categorization, Lt. Col. Nicole Roberts, the 21st Security Forces Squadron commander,

  • Airman teaches Marines combat survival skills

    It’s not every day that an Airman gets to experience firsthand what it means to “train like a Marine,” let alone teach them a few skills of his own. Senior Airman Ronnie Perez, a 460th Medical Operations Squadron medical technician, recently joined 35 Marines from Company A, Marine Cryptologic

  • Windows 10 to deploy across AF

    The Air Force is slated to upgrade to Windows 10 during the next couple years to improve the Air Force’s cybersecurity posture, lower the cost of information technology and streamline the IT operating environment.

  • A dog and his handler

    Senior Airman Tariq Russell and his dog, Ppaul, rely on the relationship they've developed with each other to create a safe working environment at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado, while protecting Airmen.

  • 45th SW supports successful launch

    The 45th Space Wing supported United Launch Alliance’s successful launch of the NROL-37 spacecraft aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV-Heavy rocket from Space Launch Complex 37B at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, June 11.

  • GPS registers most accurate signal yet

    On April 25, the Air Force’s GPS registered its most accurate signal yet, according to the Aerospace Corporation, which has been monitoring the data since 2002.

  • Welsh visits Patrick AFB, focuses on people, pride

    Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Mark A. Welsh III told Airman Keegan Atherton, "I would die for you and you would die for me too," during his closing remarks at an all call May 9 at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida, driving home his point about what makes the Air Force unique and different to him.

  • Academy grad returns to the mat for chance at becoming a champion

    Coming from a small town in southern Pennsylvania, 1st Lt. Clayton Gable, a 2nd Space Warning Squadron supervisory statistician, grew up in a family that had a heritage in wrestling. He would excel in high school and at the Academy and now wrestles on the Air Force team.

  • Yesterday’s Air Force: Cheyenne Mountain

    Since April 20, 1966, Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station in Colorado has been protecting the skies over North America. The Cheyenne Mountain Complex is near Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and falls under Air Force Space Command.

  • Hyten announces Space Enterprise Vision

    Gen. John Hyten, the commander of Air Force Space Command, announced the command's Space Enterprise Vision April 12 at Peterson Air Force Base. The SEV is the result of an AFSPC-commissioned study that looked at how to make the nation's national security space enterprise more resilient.

  • Resilience pays off on road to Air Force

    From being a young boy who could not speak a word of English to an Airman who instructs others on the effects altitude has on the human body, Senior Airman Jae Yu, of the 21st Aerospace Medicine Squadron, practiced resilience far before he ever joined the Air Force.

  • Tech Report: Orbital launch systems

    The Atlas V, Delta IV and Falcon 9 are three rockets used by the Air Force to launch national security payloads into space. For many years, the United Launch Alliance has been the exclusive manufacturer of rockets used by the Air Force for national security; however, in 2015 the Air Force certified

  • AF twins receive French Legion of Honor for WWII service

    Seventy-one years after their World War II service in the Army Air Forces, identical twin brothers -- retired Air Force Reserve Majs. Raymond "Glenn" Clanin and Russell "Lynn" Clanin -- received the French government's highest distinction, the Legion of Honor medal.