All Department of Defense articles
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NewsUSAF downs Chinese balloon off Atlantic coast
Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptors from the US Air Force shot down the surveillance vessel on 4 February off the USA’s East Coast, with Washington denouncing the balloon’s presence as a violation of territorial sovereignty.
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News
Pentagon tracking high-altitude Chinese spy balloon over USA
The US military says it is monitoring a large surveillance balloon travelling over North America that it believes originated in China.
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News
Aurora and General Atomics advance in DARPA seaplane project
The aircraft manufacturers will develop designs for full-scale demonstrators under the ‘Liberty Lifter’ programme, which seeks to produce a heavy lift aircraft that can take-off and land without ground or ship-based infrastructure.
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News
DARPA, Lockheed successfully test experimental hypersonic weapon
It was the second test flight of the scramjet vehicle known as the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept, which Lockheed is developing in conjunction with the Pentagon’s secretive research branch.
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News
USAF launches AI-powered airlift planning competition
The Air Force Research Laboratory digital event invites researchers from around the world to improve the planning of airlift operations using artificial intelligence-driven algorithms.
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Aurora advances to second phase of DARPA ‘active flow’ flight-control experiment
The Boeing subsidiary is designing an aircraft for the US military that can fly without traditional mechanical control surfaces, as part of an attempt to increase aerodynamic performance.
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News
USA transfers third Lockheed C-130 to Niger
The donation is the third of the Lockheed Martin cargo transports Washington has provided the Niger air force as part of counter terrorism efforts in West Africa.
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News
Newly reported UFOs display ‘unusual flight performance capabilities’: US intelligence
After analysing some 366 newly identified instances of unidentified aerial phenomena, US intelligence officials have determined roughly half to be normal aerospace clutter, while an unspecified number suggested unusual flight performance capabilities.
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News
Lockheed finalises contract for another 398 F-35s, misses 2022 delivery target
The $30 billion deal with the US government covers aircraft for the USA, Belgium, Finland and Poland, and comes as Lockheed missed its 2022 F-35 delivery target due to an ongoing pause in flight operations.
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News
Congress passes spending bill, funding military and averting shutdown
The House of Representatives approved a spending package that includes $858 billion to fund the US military, averting a shutdown that would have affected numerous defence procurement programmes and regular operations.
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News
Congress proposes military spending plan with $7bn for aircraft procurement
A spending plan to fund the US government through September 2023 would provide roughly $7 billion for the acquisition of new defence aircraft and $45 billion to support the Ukrainian military.
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News
Pentagon taking unidentified aerial phenomena ‘seriously’
Government officials say a newly created office to investigate sightings of unknown aerial vehicles near US military aircraft has already received hundreds of reports, some of which they think pose a potential national security risk.
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News
Aurora wins DARPA contract to develop ‘active flow control’ X-plane
The X-plane effort aims to produce an aircraft that uses so-called active flow control, rather than traditional aerodynamic control surfaces such as rudders and flaps, to improve flight performance.
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News
Fewer A-10s but protections for F-22s, EA-18Gs and F-15s in US defence policy bill
If approved, the behemoth bill to fund the US military through 2023 would allow some reductions to the A-10 fleet, but prohibit retirements of many other types, including fighters, tankers and transports.
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News
US military to explore use of sustainable aviation fuel
A directive from Congress included in the 2023 defence spending bill would require the Pentagon to establish at least one refinery and production of a 10% SAF fuel blend by 2028.
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Washington approves Finland purchase of Raytheon air-to-air, air-to-ground missiles
The government in Helsinki received approval for an official Foreign Military Sales request to purchase 40 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles and 48 AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapons from Raytheon.
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General Atomics selected to design DARPA’s ‘Liberty Lifter’ seaplane
The manufacturer of unmanned air vehicles will receive nearly $8 million from the Pentagon’s research and development agency to design a heavy-lift seaplane that can operate without traditional aviation infrastructure.
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In depth
Drone swarms, solar-powered UAVs and congested air space management: the US Army’s experiment in the desert
An annual series of experiments with new military technology, known as Project Convergence, seek to push the bounds of what a multi-national, Western fighting force can do on the battlefield.
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Pilotless Black Hawk flies medevac, resupply missions in DARPA experiment
The Pentagon’s secretive weapons development office, working with helicopter maker Sikorsky, successfully modified a UH-60 Black Hawk to fly without pilot input.
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Lockheed Martin predicts F-35 production slowdown in 2023
Executives expect Lockheed will produce fewer of the advanced multi-role fighter next year, citing uncertainty over US orders and competing budget priorities.
