The Air Force’s new airdrop system, now dubbed “Screamer” JPADS, is on track for more technical tests this month, followed by a technical evaluation in December. After it passes the tests, JPADS is bound for delivery to troops overseas as early as February, reports Aeronautical Systems Center. The Air Force is now calling the system Screamer JPADS because the 2,000-pound package falls at a swift 100 mph. The system was successfully tested in Afghanistan in August. Also, aircrews from Little Rock AFB, Ark., and Minneapolis-St. Paul ARS, Minn., tested the system at 17,000 feet, dropping 2,000-pound and 10,000-pound GPS-guided pallets.
The Next-Generation Air Dominance Fighter is Air Combat Command’s top priority, because without it, the Air Force can’t provide the control of the air the whole military depends on to operate, Air Combat Command chief Gen. Mark D. Kelly said. He also named a replacement for the E-3 AWACS, new…