John A. Tirpak
John A. Tirpak is Editorial Director of Air & Space Forces Magazine, with more than 25 years at the publication and more than 34 years in defense journalism. He has written for Aviation Week & Space Technology, Aerospace Daily, and Jane’s, reporting from all 50 U.S. states and 25 countries. He has been recognized with awards for journalistic excellence from the Society of Professional Journalists, the Aviation and Space Writer’s Association, the Association of Business Publications International, and was the recipient of the 2018 Gill Robb Wilson Award in Arts and Letters from the Air & Space Forces Association. He has lectured at the National War College and did postgraduate research at the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum.
Recent stories by John A. Tirpak
Lockheed Quietly Delivered 1,000th F-35 in July; Clearing Full Backlog May Take 18 Months
It'll take up to 18 months for Lockheed Martin to deliver the 100 or so F-35s that went directly from production line to storage, awaiting the completion of Tech Refresh 3 testing. Customers haven't complained about the order in which the backlog is being delivered.
New B-21 Bomber Now Flying Up to Twice a Week
The secretive new B-21 bomber is flying as much as twice a week in flight test at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., and ground tests of two other aircraft are also proceeding well, program officials revealed at AFA’s Air, Space and Cyber conference.
USAF Leaders: Pilot Shortage Requires ‘Holistic,’ Analytical Solution
Holistic approaches, rather than individual good ideas, will help mitigate the Air Force's chronic pilot shortage, panelists said at AFA's Air, Space & Cyber conference.
Kendall: New, Re-Imagined NGAD Could Cost Less Than an F-35
The Air Force is hoping to slash the cost of the Next-Generation Air Dominance fighter from hundreds of millions per copy to less than $80 million, secretary Frank Kendall said. It might be done by disaggregating the fighter’s functions and possibly making it uncrewed.
Kendall Wants to Stay as Air Force Secretary Under New President
In his first three years as Secretary of the Air Force, Frank Kendall has pushed for a sweeping overhaul of the department. During his keynote address at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference on Sept. 16, Kendall said he would like to keep working on ...
Pratt’s New Software Aims to Extend Life, Enhance Performance of F-22 Engines
Pratt & Whitney is working with the Air Force to keep the F-22 credible beyond its previously-planned 2030 sunset by tracking parts usage to schedule maintenance only when actually needed. It's also pursuing additive parts printing as a cost-saver.
Whiteman Picked over Dyess as Second Operational Base for B-21
The Air Force has chosen Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., as the second Main Operating Base for the new B-21 Raider bomber. Whiteman has hosted the B-2 Spirit bomber for 31 years.
Anduril Unveils New Low-Cost Cruise Missiles Meant for Large-Scale Production
Anduril Industries announced a new family of air-breathing cruise missiles intended to be low-cost and producible in large numbers. The “Barracuda” series is meant to flesh out anemic U.S. weapon inventories so munitions aren't exhausted in the first few weeks of an air campaign.
Raytheon: AMRAAM and JATM Missiles ‘Complementary’ for Future Force Mix
The AIM-120 AMRAAM will likely be the complement to the AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, a Raytheon executive said. He characterized the JATM as an expensive, "kick-down-the-door" weapon, while he argued that AMRAAM is the more affordable missile to be used in larger quantities.
New Fighter Drones Will Go on Display at AFA Conference
The Air Force will display full-scale models of the two competitors for Increment 1 of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program at next week's AFA Air, Space & Cyber Conference.
USAF-Funded Tilt-Duct Aircraft Makes First Flight, Could Be Future Autonomous Rescue Platform
Piasecki Aircraft has conducted the first flight of its autonomous tilt-duct vertical takeoff and landing aircraft demonstrator, which could lead to a combat rescue craft and/or a logistics platform supporting the Air Force’s Agile Combat Employment model.
Pentagon Report: Air Force to Bed Down Only 25 F-35s in Fiscal 2026
The Air Force would only bed down 25 F-35s in fiscal 2026 under a plan included in a recent Pentagon report on the fighter. The plan calls for the service to field some 700 of the jets by the end of the decade and never ...
Northrop: Adding a Pilot to New Model 437 Will Speed Testing
Northrop Grumman said it put a pilot on its new Model 437—ostensibly an autonomous craft—to speed testing, as it won’t need segregated airspace usually required for uninhabited aircraft. A new video of the first flight emphasizes the speed at which the aircraft was fabricated and ...
New F-16 Electronic Warfare System ‘on Par with Fifth-Gen’ Enters Flight Test
The F-16’s new electronic warfare suite, the AN/ALQ-257, has begun flight testing after successfully completing ground tests in an anechoic chamber, Northrop Grumman reported. A swift evaluation program—which builds on three years of ground testing and surrogate testing in the air—is expected to wrap up ...
Northrop Touts Value of Digital Engineering as It Announces First Flight of Model 437
The Northrop Grumman/Scaled Composites Model 437 Vanguard made its first flight Aug. 29. The rapid-prototype jet, which may be aimed at the Air Force's Collaborative Combat Aircraft Increment II program, demonstrates the maturity of the company's "digital ecosystem," Northrop said.