Rachel S. Cohen
Rachel Cohen joined Air Force Magazine as a senior editor in January 2019. She covers science and technology programs, space, Congress, the nuclear enterprise, C4ISR, and more. The Michigan native graduated from American University and previously worked at Inside Defense, Inside Health Policy, the Frederick News-Post (Md.), the Washington Post, and others.
Recent stories by Rachel S. Cohen
Building the New Space Coalition
Partnerships in space could build capabilities and save money for all in the coalition.
Building the New Space Coalition
Partnerships in space could build capabilities and save money for all in the coalition. At the dawn of the new space age, the United States is racing to assemble a military coalition of spacefaring nations to rival that of Operation...
Air Force’s Weapon Swarming Project Fares Better in Second Test
The Air Force’s “Golden Horde” weapon swarming project overcame its earlier technical difficulties in a second flight test last month, the service said March 5. The Feb. 19 event featured four Small Diameter Bombs equipped with systems that let them work as a team, two ...
USAF Planning Boss Pushes for Flexible Budgets to Keep Up with New Tech
As the Air Force pieces together its fiscal 2023 budget, due early next year, it must think not only about the immediate future, but also five years down the road. That’s a challenge right now, said Lt. Gen. S. Clinton Hinote, the Air Force’s deputy ...
New House Task Force to Examine Defense Supply Chain Threats
House Armed Services Committee members are launching a task force to dig into defense supply chain issues, the panel said March 4. Reps. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.) and Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) will co-chair the group as it looks at threats to and vulnerabilities in the defense ...
Stars and Stripes: Troops Weigh In on New Space Force Insignia
Space Force troops are weighing in on which new set of enlisted insignia will grace their arms as they rise through the ranks, via a feedback survey designed to inform the final pick. Guardians are offering their opinions on four sets of insignia, according to ...
GAO Turns Down Anduril’s ABMS Protest
The Government Accountability Office recently turned down a protest by California-based Anduril Industries, which challenged how the Air Force is running aspects of its Advanced Battle Management System acquisition. Anduril filed the protest in November to push back on a solicitation for contractors to participate ...
No One-Size-Fits-All Response to Space Attacks, Raymond Says
U.S. officials are trying to hash out the ground rules for extraterrestrial combat more than a year after standing up a Space Force to fend off threats on orbit. There’s no one-size-fits-all answer for what actions by a satellite could be considered an act of ...
USAFA Boss Defends School’s Discipline Approach Amid Cheating Investigation
The head of the U.S. Air Force Academy on March 2 defended the school’s disciplinary program for students who violate the honor code, as House lawmakers questioned service academy superintendents on a recent spate of cheating scandals. “We have a very robust honor education system ...
ACC Moving Forward with ‘Reforge’ Experiment Amid Funding Concerns
Air Combat Command is trying to move forward with an experiment it hopes will pave the way for a larger overhaul of fighter pilot training, despite pandemic-era complications. The command is working through the contracting process for the resources it needs to test the “Reforge” ...
Roth Talks Transition Amid Administration Change, COVID
Acting Air Force Secretary John P. Roth is shepherding the Department of the Air Force through the first months of the year as the nation awaits President Joe Biden’s pick for a permanent Secretary. Handing off the Air Force and Space Force to a new ...
USAF Considering Pilot Training Changes to Curb Flight Accidents
The Air Force is considering changes to its pilot curriculum to curb the rising number of aviation accidents across the service, Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. said Feb. 25. The Air Force saw 72 accidents in fiscal 2020—10 more than in the ...
For Military Superiority in Space, Start with Safety
The U.S. military has worked in space for decades, providing GPS to the masses and bouncing combat messages through satellites to troops around the world. In some ways, though, the Space Force feels like it's starting from scratch. Officials are looking for ways to keep ...
Space Force to Test New Insignia Next Month
Space Force troops will try out new rank insignia for the first time next month, as the service looks to shake up the traditional chevron design it inherited from the Air Force. “We’re excited about that, to get feedback and figure out what that insignia ...
To Inspire New USAF Tech, Look to Mars Rover
Last week, NASA’s Perseverance rover thrilled citizens of Earth when it landed on Mars with the promise of a new chapter in red planet exploration. But the military could also learn a thing or two from the spacecraft’s trip for future research and development efforts, ...