Brian Everstine is Aviation Week Network's Pentagon Editor, specializing in defense acquisition programs and joint force modernization efforts. With 14+ years covering military aviation, his reporting focuses on:
Successful story angles often include:
Recent recognition includes the 2023 Defense Media Award for his F-35 sustainment investigation. Everstine's work continues shaping debates about maintaining US air dominance amid evolving threats.
We've followed Brian Everstine's trajectory from his early days covering Washington state politics for the Associated Press to becoming Aviation Week Network's Pentagon Editor. His career arc demonstrates a deliberate shift from general political reporting to specialized defense coverage, marked by these key phases:
Everstine's reporting consistently appears at the intersection of technological feasibility and strategic imperatives. These three pieces exemplify his analytical approach:
This April 2025 analysis dissects the Air Force's unexpected openness to alternative airborne battle management solutions despite its $1.9 billion commitment to Boeing's E-7A program. Everstine reveals how evolving threat assessments of Chinese stealth capabilities and satellite-killing weapons are driving contingency planning. His sourcing of classified briefings (without compromising operational security) demonstrates unique access to Pentagon decision-makers.
The article's impact became evident when Senate Armed Services Committee members cited its findings during FY2026 budget markups. Everstine's technical breakdown of waveform agility requirements and open architecture standards has become essential reading for defense contractors adapting to the Pentagon's new modular acquisition strategy.
In this 2022 deep dive, Everstine decoded the Defense Department's then-record $112 billion R&D request, identifying specific allocations for hypersonic weapons testing and next-generation aircraft prototyping. His analysis of budget line items revealed early investments in what would become the Collaborative Combat Aircraft program - six months before its official announcement.
The piece remains a masterclass in budget journalism, correlating funding spikes with wargaming outcomes from scenarios like a 2027 Taiwan contingency. Everstine's interviews with CSIS analysts and Pacific Command planners created a multidimensional view of Pentagon priorities that influenced think tank assessments for years.
This February 2025 report from Hurlburt Field details AFSOC's transition from MQ-9-centric operations to C-130-launched drone swarms. Everstine's embedded reporting captured exclusive details about the "Adaptive Airborne Enterprise" initiative's second phase, including prototype testing timelines and industry partnerships.
His technical analysis of swarm communication protocols and power supply challenges informed defense contractors' R&D roadmaps. The article's revelation about SOCOM's interest in AI-driven mission planning systems sparked congressional inquiries into ethical AI use frameworks.
Everstine prioritizes stories demonstrating cross-service interoperability, like his 2023 coverage of Marine Corps F-35Cs operating from Air Force tankers. Successful pitches should highlight how technologies enable JADC2 implementation or address multiservice pain points. Example: A story on Navy E-2D Advanced Hawkeyes sharing sensor data with Air Force F-15EXs via ABMS gateways.
With 63% of his 2024 articles referencing PLA modernization, effective pitches must articulate measurable impacts on Sino-US capability balances. Propose access to wargame data showing how specific systems affect escalation scenarios, or interview subjects who can discuss production challenges for counter-A2/AD technologies.
Everstine excels at tracing programmatic DNA through appropriation documents. Provide analysts who can decode RDT&E line items or explain "technology maturation" budget euphemisms. A successful 2024 pitch revealed how a $47 million AFRL project laid groundwork for the Next Generation Air Dominance program.
His readers expect granular details about system capabilities. When pitching sensor technologies, specify detection ranges against fifth-gen fighters. For propulsion systems, provide thrust-to-weight ratios in contested environments. Everstine's coverage of Adaptive Engine Transition Program debates set the standard for technical yet accessible reporting.
Articles like his 2023 retrospective on the B-1B's conventional mission shift demonstrate Everstine's appreciation for historical context. Pitch comparisons between current programs and legacy acquisition efforts, particularly those involving failed projects that offer cautionary lessons for today's planners.
The National Press Club recognized Everstine's year-long series tracking F-35 Tech Refresh 3 delays, which exposed $6.2 billion in hidden sustainment costs. His FOIA-driven reporting revealed how software integration challenges impacted combat readiness across 15 squadrons.
His investigative work on KC-46 Pegasus deficiencies earned recognition for balancing technical detail with strategic implications. The series prompted two GAO audits and influenced the Air Force's decision to accelerate KC-Y tanker prototyping.
Everstine received this honor for his coverage of B-21 Raider development milestones, particularly his analysis of how its stealth characteristics counter emerging Chinese radar technologies. Defense officials later credited the reporting with improving congressional understanding of next-generation bomber requirements.
At PressContact, we aim to help you discover the most relevant journalists for your PR efforts. If you're looking to pitch to more journalists who write on Military, here are some other real estate journalist profiles you may find relevant:
