All Department of the Air Force (USAF) articles – Page 6
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PZL Mielec and Sierra Nevada showcase initial MC-145B prototype
Lockheed Martin-owned PZL Mielec and US firm Sierra Nevada (SNC) have unveiled the first prototype of the special operations variant of the Polish airframer’s M28 twin-turboprop.
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US Navy interested in 64 ‘Tactical Surrogate Aircraft’
The aircraft would supplement flight time and training in frontline combat aircraft, provide adversary air support and serve as a flight lead aircraft for Fleet Replacement Squadrons, a unit that trains naval aviators on frontline combat aircraft, such as the Lockheed Martin F-35C and Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
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Northrop competes against BAE-Sierra Nevada team for GHOST signals intel programme
Northrop Grumman is facing off against a joint bid by a BAE Systems-Sierra Nevada team for the US Air Force’s (USAF) Global High-altitude Open-system Sensor Technology (GHOST) programme.
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US Air Force evaluates possible purchase of Boeing E-7A Wedgetails
The US Air Force has kicked off a study looking at buying the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft to replace its ageing fleet of Boeing E-3 Sentry aircraft.
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Pratt & Whitney’s GatorWorks to 3D print entire jet engine
The first time Pratt & Whitney’s GatorWorks attempted to 3D-print a combustor for the miniature TJ-150 jet engine, the results were anything but perfect. Lessons learned, the West Palm Beach, Florida-based outfit is now taking additive manufacturing one step further: attempting to produce a TJ-150 turbine entirely out of 3D-printed parts.
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Lockheed Martin delivers high-energy laser for testing on AC-130J gunship
Lockheed Martin has delivered to the US Air Force its Airborne High Energy Laser system to be installed and tested on an AC-130J Ghostrider gunship.
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L3Harris flies EC-37B Compass Call electronic warfare jet for first time
L3Harris Technologies has flown for the first time its EC-37B Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft.
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F-35As drop inert B61-12 nukes in step toward operational certification
Two Lockheed Martin F-35A stealth fighters recently dropped inert B61-12 nuclear gravity bombs over Tonopah Test Range in Neveda as part of the type’s first full weapon system demonstration.
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Vanilla UAV claims world record eight-day flight without refuelling
Platform Aerospace’s Vanilla unmanned air vehicle (UAV) completed an eight-day 50 minute and 47 second flight on 2 October at Edwards AFB in California.
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Stratolaunch wraps critical design review, aims for hypersonic flight test in 2022
The Mojave, California-based company plans to use its massive, six-engined Roc aircraft as a launch platform for hypersonic vehicles and missiles.
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Raytheon flight tests loyal wingman UAV software
Raytheon has conducted a flight test during which a human operator controlled three autonomous unmanned air vehicles simultaneously using manned-unmanned teaming software.
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Boeing wins multibillion dollar contract to sustain global C-17 Globemaster III fleet
The US Air Force has awarded Boeing a multibillion-dollar contract to sustain the worldwide fleet of C-17 Globemaster III strategic transports over the next 10 years.
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DARPA’s HAWC scramjet missile goes hypersonic in successful test
The free flight test of the missile is the first time the US government has successfully launched a scramjet hypersonic vehicle since 2013 when the Boeing X-51 flew 240s, the record for longest air-breathing hypersonic flight.
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Rolls-Royce wins $2.6bn re-engining contract for B-52H Stratofortress
The US Air Force has awarded Rolls-Royce a $2.6 billion contract to replace the engines on its Boeing B-52H Stratofortress bomber fleet.
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USAF prepares to test adaptive engines from GE, P&W
The US Air Force plans to start testing adaptive engine prototypes from GE Aviation and Pratt & Whitney in early fiscal year 2022.
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Raytheon unveils compact, half-priced gallium nitride AESA radar
Lower-cost, smaller AESA radars are a critical enabling technology for several aircraft types, including ”attritable” unmanned air vehicles and light-attack aircraft. Both types have emerged in recent years as low-cost solutions for aerial combat.
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First USAF F-35As stationed in Europe due at RAF Lakenheath in December
The US Air Force’s first Lockheed Martin F-35A stealth fighters to be permanently stationed in Europe are expected to arrive at RAF Lakenheath in the UK this December.
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US Air Force considers buying the E-7 Wedgetail
The US Air Force (USAF) is considering the Boeing E-7 Wedgetail to replace its fleet of Boeing E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.
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Red 6 to install augmented reality headset in multiple T-38 jets
Start-up Red 6 has won a contract to install its augmented reality headset into multiple US Air Force (USAF) Northrop T-38 Talon jet trainers.
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JASSM-ER launch from MC-130J to help prove ‘Rapid Dragon’ pallet concept
Lockheed Martin plans to demonstrate the ability to launch a Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile-Extended Range (JASSM-ER) from the back of an MC-130J transport by the end of the year, as it works to develop a palletised launch system called ‘Rapid Dragon’.