The US Air Force announced plans Tuesday to purchase two Boeing 747-8 aircraft to support its future presidential airlift program, with an Air Force official confirming it would acquire the planes from German carrier Lufthansa.

U.S. Air Force Col. Nathan Malafa, left, outgoing U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron commander, and Lt. Col. Alexander Prevendar, incoming USAFADS “Thunderbirds” commander, smile during a change of command ceremony at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., Dec. 5, 2025. (Yendi Borjas/U.S. Air Force)

Edwards AFB boasts the longest runway on any military airfield under the ownership of the United States Department of Defense (DOD). The base served as the primary landing site for early Space Shuttle missions (including the first one) and a backup site for later missions before the landing strip at Kennedy Space Center.

Blog posts represent the views of CFR fellows and staff and not those of CFR, which takes no institutional positions. The origins of the USAF lie in a decision made just four years after the Wright Brothers conducted the world’s first airplane flight at ...

This post may contain links from our sponsors and affiliates, and Flywheel Publishing may receive compensation for actions taken through them. The most powerful air force the world has ever known, the United States Air Force is currently the second largest ...

Deterrence is emerging as a theme for Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, but questions remain about the administration’s ability to deliver and maintain the nation’s nuclear deterrent. At the Air Force Summit on March 19, Hegseth commented on the ...

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration on Tuesday repeated its November 21 warning to major airlines of a "worsening security situation" when flying over Venezuela and urged them to exercise caution.