United States Air Force
The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air warfare branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the country. It is the largest air force in the world and falls under the Department of Defense, with its headquarters at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. The USAF operates fighters, bombers, transport, reconnaissance and tanker aircraft, and plays a central role in U.S. global power projection. It is led by the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, who sits on the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
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More than half of Ukraine's F-16s grounded by Belgian maintenance delays
A Wall Street Journal report says more than half of Ukraine's F-16 fighters are non-combat-ready because phased technical inspections carried out by Belgian contractor Sabena Aerospace Engineering under a U.S. contract are taking far longer than in the United States. President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed to the Financial Times that roughly half the fleet is in long-term repair in Europe and said Ukraine wants to move most of that maintenance onto its own territory with Western support. Ukraine's Foreign Ministry spokesman publicly disputed the 'catastrophically low' readiness framing, saying turnaround times are actually shortening.