A letter from the Editor in Chief

To meet anti-access/area denial challenges of peer-adversary conflict in the Western Pacific, agile combat employment should leverage joint capabilities for greater effectiveness.

Mission type orders, essential to mission command, should complement air tasking orders even when communication is robust. Procedural, experiential, and cultural changes are needed to enhance large-scale air warfare command.

Implementing Agile hardware, autonomy, and machine learning in aircraft design and training can enable the Air Force to accelerate fielding, enhance adaptability, and meet evolving defense needs.

Six air campaigns since Desert Storm highlight the challenges of Air Force targeting readiness, revealing how proactive strategies, sustained expertise, and investment are vital to improve targeting proficiency and ensure success in future conflicts.

Rising space competition demands a dedicated space rescue professional career field for the Space Force. A dual-service program leveraging Air Force rescue expertise and NASA partnership would safeguard astronauts and strengthen US space leadership.

A 2022 propellantless space propulsion patent could transform Space Force capabilities. Electric thrust enables unlimited maneuver, non-Keplerian orbits, and refueling-free operations, enhancing resilience and countering threats in space operations.

The Air Force Academy must balance military skills with humanities education. Strengthening history and literature requirements in the core curriculum prepares officers to understand the nature of war and become effective warrior-leaders.

The 1938 goodwill mission of YB-17 bombers to Argentina showcased US soft power, validated bomber capabilities, advanced training, and developed Airmen leadership, laying groundwork for the future effectiveness of the US Air Force.