According to the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the Arctic sea ice extent has declined by 40% since 1979. The loss is transforming Alaska’s climate while also accelerating coastal erosion. “In a diminishing ice environment in the Arctic region, we’re seeing there’s more opportunity for industry, more opportunity for resource extraction, if done in a […]

In 1935, Billy Mitchell, former U.S. Army brigadier general and airpower advocate, testified before Congress that Alaska was the most strategic place in the world. From there, he said, U.S. Army aircraft could reach any capital in the northern hemisphere within nine hours.  Much of that flight time was over unoccupied polar ice, as only the […]

Since its early days as a service, the Air Force has embraced technological advances in air and space capabilities and played an integral role as a global airpower. Airman Magazine regularly updates Airman Aerials, a photographic art gallery, featuring some of the best aerial photography from around the service in recent history. See more Aerial […]

The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation fighter combining advanced aerodynamics, survivability in high-threat environments and an enhanced ability to provide pilots and allied assets across operational domains with robust situational awareness. The F-35 is the result of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program to develop a single-engine, stealthy, multi-role fighter to replace an aging […]

Brig. Gen. Edward L. Vaughan is the Air National Guard Special Assistant to Maj. Gen. Scott F. Smith, the Director of Training and Readiness, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Force, Arlington, Va. The directorate, encompassing seven divisions and the Air Force Agency for Modeling and Simulation, is responsible for policy, guidance […]

See more F-35 photos on Flickr The F-35A Lightning II is a fifth-generation fighter combining advanced aerodynamics, survivability in high-threat environments and an enhanced ability to provide pilots and allied assets across operational domains with robust situational awareness. The F-35 is the result of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) program to develop a single-engine, stealthy, […]

See more “Lightning Strike” photos on Flickr Her movements are deliberate as she works on the aircraft. Cutting tape to cover a minor repair on the aircraft’s tail, her precision mirrors a doctor performing surgery — everything she does is exact. Her hands run smoothly but firmly across the aircraft as she applies sealant to […]