MilitaryCurrent F-35 Configuration Complicates Fielding Of APG-85 Radar Radar mountings in the nose of the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter are different for the current AN/APG-81 by Northrop Grumman and the future AN/APG-85 radar, also by Northrop Grumman–a difference which has helped complicate fielding…
AI & AutonomyUSAF Designates Talon CCA Contender As YFQ-48A YFQ-48A is the designation for Northrop Grumman‘s Project Talon series of drone contenders for the U.S. Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program, the service said on Dec. 22. The YFQ-48A Mission…
MilitaryBoeing Receives Sole Source Award For C-17 Flight Deck Replacement, As USAF Projects Spares For Two LRUs Will Run Out in FY 2028 In mid-December, the Air Force awarded Boeing a $266 million sole source contract through 2031 to replace the flight deck of the company’s C-17 airlifter. The avionics redesign through the use of commercial…
Aircraft MaintenancePentagon Inspector General Highlights Continuing F-35 Readiness Concerns While Air Force F-35A and Navy F-35C fighters by Lockheed Martin were in the U.S. strike package against Venezuela on Jan. 3, a December Pentagon Inspector General (IG) report highlighted continuing readiness…
Editor's NoteNorthrop Grumman Eyes First Flight Of Project Talon Next Year Northrop Grumman used its Beacon autonomous testbed, announced in June, to accelerate development of the Project Talon autonomous drone offering for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program. Modified for…
AI & AutonomyYFQ-44A Has First Flight, Anduril Planning for Weapons Shot Next Year Anduril Industries‘ YFQ-44A Fury prototype drone for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) program had its debut flight Oct. 31 at a California test site, according to the Air Force.…
AI & AutonomyElectronic Warfare and Air-to-Ground Missions Focus of GA-ASI Gambit 6 Design General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) said on Nov. 4 that it is developing the Gambit 6–the company’s latest version of the Gambit series drones–for electronic warfare and air-to-ground operations. The latest…
MilitaryGE Aerospace’s F110-GE-129 Engine To Power Shield AI X-BAT GE Aerospace‘s F110-GE-129 engine with the Axisymmetric Vectoring Exhaust Nozzle (AVEN) is to power Shield AI‘s future X-BAT drone fighter jet, according to a Memorandum of Understanding between the companies. U.S. Air…
MilitaryEngineering Analysis Underway For Upgraded F-35, F-22 Based On NGAD Development Lockheed Martin has begun the “engineering analysis” around adding sixth-generation features to the company’s fifth-generation fighters based on development work it did on the losing bid for the Air Force’s Next-Generation Air…
MilitaryUSAF Looking Into Spares For AWACS DRAGON Program The U.S. Air Force is looking into a buy of spare parts for the service’s Diminishing Manufacturing Sources Replacement of Avionics for Global Operations and Navigation (DRAGON) program for Boeing E-3 Airborne…