Aaron Mehta

Aaron Mehta was deputy editor and senior Pentagon correspondent for Defense News, covering policy, strategy and acquisition at the highest levels of the Defense Department and its international partners.


  • ACC Head: Follow-On to A-10 Aircraft Possible
    ACC Head: Follow-On to A-10 Aircraft Possible

    A future close air support-specific platform to replace the A-10 remains a possibility, the head of Air Combat Command said Thursday.

  • Space Budget a ‘Placeholder’ For Future
    Space Budget a ‘Placeholder’ For Future

    In its fiscal 2016 budget request, the US Air Force requested $2.5 billion in procurement and $1.2 billion for research and development funds just for space programs.

  • USAF Budget: Hardest Choices Yet to Come
    USAF Budget: Hardest Choices Yet to Come

    The US Air Force requested $122.2 billion for fiscal 2016, a budget that emphasizes designing the Air Force of the future while addressing current needs.

  • With New T-X Design, Northrop Shows Its Hand
    With New T-X Design, Northrop Shows Its Hand

    Northrop Grumman’s decision to launch a clean-sheet design for the Air Force’s T-X trainer replacement program caught the aviation industry off-guard

  • Northrop Developing New Design for T-X
    Northrop Developing New Design for T-X

    Northrop Grumman has decided to produce a new, clean-sheet design for the Air Force’s T-X trainer replacement competition, the company tells Defense News.

  • Interview: Richard Lombardi
    Interview: Richard Lombardi

    With the Feb. 2 release of President Obama’s fiscal 2016 budget request, the Air Force made clear it is threading the needle between current requirements and developing, and procuring, new technologies.

  • KC-46A test plane completes first flight
    KC-46A test plane completes first flight

    The KC-46A Pegasus tanker program hit an important milestone Sunday with the successful first flight of its engineering test plane.

  • Iraq requests Abrams tank, Humvee sale
    Iraq requests Abrams tank, Humvee sale

    The State Department has signed off two potential sales to Iraq, one for for M1A1 Abarams tanks and another covering M1151A1 up-armoredHigh Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles, better known as Humvees.

  • Blocking tanker retirements could delay KC-46
    Blocking tanker retirements could delay KC-46

    The KC-46A Pegasus tanker is one of the three major recapitalization priorities for the Air Force. But with Congress moving to block retirement of older tankers, the Pegasus could find itself short on maintainers as it attempts to come online.

  • Rand: Simulators bring training ‘close to reality’
    Rand: Simulators bring training ‘close to reality’

    As budget challenges continue to plague the Air Force, the service has focused on simulation as a way to keep its personnel up to speed and combat-ready at a lower cost. Gen. Robin Rand, who took over at Air Education and Training Command in October 2013, is the man charged with leading the service into…

  • ACC Head: Follow-On to A-10 Aircraft Possible
    ACC Head: Follow-On to A-10 Aircraft Possible

    A future close air support-specific platform to replace the A-10 remains a possibility, the head of Air Combat Command said Thursday.

  • Space Budget a ‘Placeholder’ For Future
    Space Budget a ‘Placeholder’ For Future

    In its fiscal 2016 budget request, the US Air Force requested $2.5 billion in procurement and $1.2 billion for research and development funds just for space programs.

  • USAF Budget: Hardest Choices Yet to Come
    USAF Budget: Hardest Choices Yet to Come

    The US Air Force requested $122.2 billion for fiscal 2016, a budget that emphasizes designing the Air Force of the future while addressing current needs.

  • With New T-X Design, Northrop Shows Its Hand
    With New T-X Design, Northrop Shows Its Hand

    Northrop Grumman’s decision to launch a clean-sheet design for the Air Force’s T-X trainer replacement program caught the aviation industry off-guard

  • Northrop Developing New Design for T-X
    Northrop Developing New Design for T-X

    Northrop Grumman has decided to produce a new, clean-sheet design for the Air Force’s T-X trainer replacement competition, the company tells Defense News.

  • Interview: Richard Lombardi
    Interview: Richard Lombardi

    With the Feb. 2 release of President Obama’s fiscal 2016 budget request, the Air Force made clear it is threading the needle between current requirements and developing, and procuring, new technologies.

  • KC-46A test plane completes first flight
    KC-46A test plane completes first flight

    The KC-46A Pegasus tanker program hit an important milestone Sunday with the successful first flight of its engineering test plane.

  • Iraq requests Abrams tank, Humvee sale
    Iraq requests Abrams tank, Humvee sale

    The State Department has signed off two potential sales to Iraq, one for for M1A1 Abarams tanks and another covering M1151A1 up-armoredHigh Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles, better known as Humvees.

  • Blocking tanker retirements could delay KC-46
    Blocking tanker retirements could delay KC-46

    The KC-46A Pegasus tanker is one of the three major recapitalization priorities for the Air Force. But with Congress moving to block retirement of older tankers, the Pegasus could find itself short on maintainers as it attempts to come online.

  • Rand: Simulators bring training ‘close to reality’
    Rand: Simulators bring training ‘close to reality’

    As budget challenges continue to plague the Air Force, the service has focused on simulation as a way to keep its personnel up to speed and combat-ready at a lower cost. Gen. Robin Rand, who took over at Air Education and Training Command in October 2013, is the man charged with leading the service into…

  • ACC Head: Follow-On to A-10 Aircraft Possible
    ACC Head: Follow-On to A-10 Aircraft Possible

    A future close air support-specific platform to replace the A-10 remains a possibility, the head of Air Combat Command said Thursday.

  • Space Budget a ‘Placeholder’ For Future
    Space Budget a ‘Placeholder’ For Future

    In its fiscal 2016 budget request, the US Air Force requested $2.5 billion in procurement and $1.2 billion for research and development funds just for space programs.

  • USAF Budget: Hardest Choices Yet to Come
    USAF Budget: Hardest Choices Yet to Come

    The US Air Force requested $122.2 billion for fiscal 2016, a budget that emphasizes designing the Air Force of the future while addressing current needs.

  • With New T-X Design, Northrop Shows Its Hand
    With New T-X Design, Northrop Shows Its Hand

    Northrop Grumman’s decision to launch a clean-sheet design for the Air Force’s T-X trainer replacement program caught the aviation industry off-guard

  • Northrop Developing New Design for T-X
    Northrop Developing New Design for T-X

    Northrop Grumman has decided to produce a new, clean-sheet design for the Air Force’s T-X trainer replacement competition, the company tells Defense News.

  • Interview: Richard Lombardi
    Interview: Richard Lombardi

    With the Feb. 2 release of President Obama’s fiscal 2016 budget request, the Air Force made clear it is threading the needle between current requirements and developing, and procuring, new technologies.

  • KC-46A test plane completes first flight
    KC-46A test plane completes first flight

    The KC-46A Pegasus tanker program hit an important milestone Sunday with the successful first flight of its engineering test plane.

  • Iraq requests Abrams tank, Humvee sale
    Iraq requests Abrams tank, Humvee sale

    The State Department has signed off two potential sales to Iraq, one for for M1A1 Abarams tanks and another covering M1151A1 up-armoredHigh Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles, better known as Humvees.

  • Blocking tanker retirements could delay KC-46
    Blocking tanker retirements could delay KC-46

    The KC-46A Pegasus tanker is one of the three major recapitalization priorities for the Air Force. But with Congress moving to block retirement of older tankers, the Pegasus could find itself short on maintainers as it attempts to come online.

  • Rand: Simulators bring training ‘close to reality’
    Rand: Simulators bring training ‘close to reality’

    As budget challenges continue to plague the Air Force, the service has focused on simulation as a way to keep its personnel up to speed and combat-ready at a lower cost. Gen. Robin Rand, who took over at Air Education and Training Command in October 2013, is the man charged with leading the service into…