All United States Air Force articles – Page 8
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NewsUSAF flies B-2 from Iceland to Alaska for Arctic drills
A US Air Force B-2 stealth bomber flew from Iceland, where it is currently forward deployed as part of a NATO deterrence mission, to Alaska for recent air-combat exercises in the high north.
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NewsJetZero to build USAF blended-wing-body prototype
The US Air Force will provide $235 million to aerospace start-up JetZero to develop a blended-wing-body prototype aircraft – dubbed the XBW-1 – with an eye toward increasing fuel efficiency by up to 50%.
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NewsB-2s arrive in Europe on first overseas deployment since grounding
Two Northrop Grumman B-2 Spirit stealth bombers arrived in Iceland for the type’s first overseas deployment since being grounded after a non-fatal hard landing in December.
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NewsFirst B-21 bomber powered up ahead of flight testing
Northrop Grumman continues to progress toward first flight of its in-development B-21 stealth bomber, announcing it recently powered up the initial flight-test aircraft for the first time.
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NewsNorthrop bows out of NGAD fighter competition
Chief executive Kathy Warden says the defence manufacturer, which is currently developing the next-generation B-21 stealth bomber, will not submit a prime bid for the US Air Force’s sixth-generation fighter programme.
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NewsUSAF makes first-ever use of commercial in-flight refueling service
During recent exercises over the American southwest, a commercially-operated tanker provided air-to-air refuelling support to US Air Force military aircraft.
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NewsLockheed delivery numbers falter as Pentagon stops accepting new F-35s
The Pentagon has stopped taking delivery of new F-35s while manufacturer Lockheed Martin completes flight testing for the “Technical Refresh 3” upgrade package, substantially lowering the company’s delivery forecast for 2023.
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NewsUSAF MQ-9 crash in Europe attributed to pilot error
The results of an initial accident investigation indicate that “channelised attention” led the pilot of a General Atomics Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 UAV to respond incorrectly to a warning indication, causing an unrecoverable crash of the remotely piloted aircraft.
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NewsUK eyes Red 6’s augmented-reality technology for BAE Hawk trainers
The UK government’s internal venture capital fund is investing in American technology firm Red 6, which is developing augmented-reality solutions to support fighter pilot training, with an eye toward integrating the capability into the Royal Air Force’s BAE Systems Hawk jets.
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NewsRussian fighters intercept American UAV over Syria, in latest Middle East incident
The US Air Force’s Middle East headquarters says Russian fighter aircraft conducted an unsafe intercept of an American MQ-9 unmanned aerial vehicle over Syria, marking the latest incident in the conflicted airspace where both countries are operating.
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NewsRough air over Baghdad: A-10 pilot Kim Campbell flies into aviation history
As the US Air Force finally begins to retire the vaunted A-10 ground attack jet, a combat-tested pilot remembers how the Warthog’s rugged airframe saved her life on a combat mission over Baghdad 20 years ago.
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NewsLockheed ignites F-35 propulsion spat with support for new engine
A Lockheed Martin executive speaking at the Paris air show endorsed a full engine replacement for the F-35 stealth fighter, over a less-invasive core upgrade, igniting a spat between the defence giant and current engine supplier Pratt & Whitney on the event’s final day.
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NewsLockheed describes ‘strong position’ amid US defence boom
Ahead of the Paris air show, the chief executive of defence giant Lockheed Martin sees strong demand for existing programmes like F-35s and F-16s, plus healthy potential for new products amid a defence spending boom.
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NewsUSA deploys F-22s to Middle East, citing Russian activity
Following recent encounters with Russian aircraft that Washington describes as “increasingly unsafe”, the Pentagon has sent an unspecified number of Lockheed Martin F-22 fighters to a location in the Middle East.
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NewsLockheed will use GE Aerospace CF6 engine to power future tanker design
The military airframer says it has selected GE Aerospace to provide powerplants for its Airbus A330-based LMXT aerial tanker concept, although demand for the platform remains uncertain.
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NewsUS Air Force denies report of AI-powered UAV attacking operator
The Pentagon says the US Air Force pilot in charge of artificial intelligence testing misspoke when he reported that an AI-enabled drone went rogue and attacked its operator, in defiance of orders.
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NewsOvertaxed F-35 engines rack up $38 billion in extra maintenance costs
US government auditors say a failure to improve output and cooling capacity on the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine powering the Lockheed Martin F-35, while simultaneously increasing the load from heat-producing sensors and radar, has significantly increased wear on the powerplant and the cost of keeping the fifth-generation type flying.
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NewsB-2s returned to flight status five months after grounding
The US Air Force has removed a flight hold it instituted on the Northrop Grumman strategic bombers after an undisclosed issue led to an emergency landing in December that damaged one of the multi-billion-dollar aircraft.
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NewsUSAF officially opens bidding on sixth-gen fighter initiative
The US Air Force is now accepting proposals for its secretive Next-Generation Air Dominance effort to develop a sixth-generation fighter platform.
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NewsUSAF tests anti-drone swarm energy weapon
The Air Force Research Laboratory says it successfully defeated a so-called “drone swarm” in recent tests using a microwave energy system.