All Department of the Air Force (USAF) articles – Page 14
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NewsLockheed Martin wins $485m multi-country airborne sensor contract
Lockheed Martin won a contract to sell its Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) and two other sensors to two dozen countries and US military services – a deal worth up to $485 million.
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US Air Force launches Skyborg competition, artificial intelligence for loyal wingman UAV
The US Air Force has launched a competition to design the artificially intelligent software that would control its planned fleet of loyal wingman unmanned air vehicles.
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US Air Force works towards in-flight updates of F-16 software
The service believes updating software on the fly will reduce fielding time to its fleet by 50%.
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‘Agile’ strategy fails to deliver as F-35 upgrade two years late and cost rise $1.5bn
The Block 4 upgrade, modernisation of the relatively new stealth fighter’s software and hardware, was initially to be delivered by 2024, but now will not be handed over until 2026. Problems also pushed up the cost on the modernisation effort to an estimated $12.1 billion.
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USAF abandons 80% mission capability goal after three fighters miss target
The mission capability rate is defined as the percentage of a fleet of an aircraft that are able to perform at least one assigned mission over a period of time.
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Lockheed Martin Skunk Works demos autonomous reconnaissance pod
Lockheed Martin’s Advanced Development Programs, also known as Skunk Works, has demonstrated an artificial intelligence-powered intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance pod autonomously searching out and confirming a target in a demonstration.
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Long-Range Standoff Weapon franchise worth $10 billion over lifetime: Raytheon
The USAF gave Raytheon a sole-source contract in April for the LRSO, ending the missile development competition early. Lockheed Martin was also competing to design and build the missile.
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Joint battlefield network one of USAF’s highest priorities: chief of staff nominee
US Air Force chief of staff nominee General Charles Brown plans to make pursuit of the Pentagon’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control battlefield network concept one of the service’s highest priorities.
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In depth
Dynetics plans operational hypersonic missile factory by autumn 2020
The weapons technology company is leading a team of subcontractors, including General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Technologies to build the USA’s first production example of a hypersonic weapon, the Common Hypersonic Glide Body
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In depth
8 key hypersonic missile efforts for the US Department of Defense
In a race to catch up with China and Russia, the US Air Force, Army and Navy are sharing funding, designs and maybe eventually components from hypersonic weapons. These heady early days of industry and service co-operation will probably not last, but represent the all-hands-on-deck urgency that the US Department of Defense believes is needed.
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In depth
7 technical challenges that need to be overcome by hypersonic missile builders
There remain great challenges to designing, building and fielding a reliable hypersonic weapon. Overcoming these seven technical problems is essential to advancing hypersonic missile technology to an operational state, according to leading experts at Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon Technologies.
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In depth
Generation Orbit starts building X-60A hypersonic test vehicle
The X-60A rocket, designed to test components of hypersonic missiles, is approaching flight readiness and safety reviews by the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). Those milestones come ahead of initial flight tests, which are expected to begin later this year and continue into 2021.
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Why the US Air Force’s eVTOL effort helps private investor confidence
With the financial impact of the coronavirus looming over the lead funders of the development of electric-vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft, the nascent industry is set to receive a small boost from the US Air Force in calendar year 2020.
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US Air Force launches study of another hypersonic cruise missile
The US Air Force is conducting market research in search of companies capable of helping to build an air-breathing hypersonic cruise missile.
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Boeing KC-46A refuelling boom camera redesign to cost $551 million
Total losses on the KC-46A programme have now risen to about $4.6 billion.
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US Air Force issues draft request for proposal to replace B-52 engines
The US Air Force (USAF) released a draft request for proposal to replace the engines of the aging Boeing B-52H Stratofortress.
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US Air Force battlefield network lacks goals, a budget and a plan: GAO
The US Air Force’s ambitious battlefield network development effort, called Advanced Battle Management System, lacks the organisational structure needed to be executed well.
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US Air Force ends Long-Range Standoff Weapon competition early, choosing Raytheon’s design
The US Air Force (USAF) has ended its Long-Range Standoff Weapon (LRSO) development competition early, issuing a sole-source contract to Raytheon.
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‘Air Force One’ is set to finish critical design review
The US Air Force Boeing VC-25B executive transport has completed almost all of its critical design review with just a few outstanding issues to be resolved.
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How the US Air Force plans to telework using its experimental battlefield network
US Air Force staffers working from home will soon have one of the military’s newest data-transfer technologies at their fingertips.
