State of Defense Series: State of the Air Force

In recent months, Air Force leaders have embraced the discussion about race and equality within the military and broad society, in part because the service is about to swear in a Black chief of staff and a woman senior enlisted leader, both firsts for the military. As for its arsenal, the U.S. Air Force is returning to its roots as the most technologically advanced branch of the military with ambitious goals to network everything, and quickly build a new generation of jet fighters that fly alongside small drones — all tools meant to keep the United States well ahead of China, Russia, and any other threat.