WELCOME - The US Air Force is growing — the 'Air Force We Need' calls for the addition of 74 squadrons in terms of overall USAF strength by 2030, to counter growing threats from China and Russia, and represents what the USAF says it requires in order to cover its range of missions
AN EXPANDING FORCE - In September, Chief of Staff Gen David Goldfein and Secretary of the Air Force Heather Wilson outlined bold plans to dramatically increase the size of the US Air Force
YEAR IN REVIEW - The Yearbook reviews the major news stories around the USAF in 2018
THE NEXT GENERATION - Boeing won the hotly contested competition to build the US Air Force's new advanced training aircraft in October. This is the aircraft that the next generation of aviators will train in
BOMBER REVIEW - The Yearbook details the current status of Air Force Global Strike Command's B-1B Lancer, B-2A Spirit, B-52H Stratofortress and B-21 Raider
THE MAKING OF A FIGHTER PILOT - Seasoned instructors and young students of the 49th Fighter Training Squadron tell the Yearbook what it takes to become a fighter pilot in today's US Air Force, at a time when training output is under scrutiny
'DRAGON LADY'ON THE FRONT LINE - The U-2 'Dragon Lady' is one of the USAF's unsung heroes. Operating away from prying eyes, the data collection attributes of the U-2 are a vital element of the decision-making chain in US Central Command
AGGRESSOR ADVANCES - As the US Air Force re-focuses on the high-end, near-peer, fight, it must preserve precious assets and properly tax its fifth-generation fighters.Therefore it is turning its attention to dramatically increased aggressor forces to improve training across the Combat Air Forces
WARTHOG WARS - Stefan Goossens and Michel van de Mheen report from Whiteman AFB, Missouri, on 'Hawgsmoke 2018' — a gathering of A-10sthat comes around every two years
STINGERS - The 112th FS 'Stingers' is one of the Air National Guard's premier fighter squadrons, busy at home and abroad and helping to retain a wealth of experience that benefits the wider air force. The Yearbook features an exclusive interview with the unit's commanding officer
UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AIR POWER REVIEW - Tom Kaminski provides an extensive overview of the USAF including a detailed directory of units, bases and aircraft