Aperture

Kratos, General Atomics Get Contracts for ‘Off-Board Sensing Station’ Unmanned Fighter Escort

Oct. 26, 2021

The Air Force Research Laboratory awarded Kratos Unmanned Aerial Systems Inc. and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems matching $17.7 million contracts for an "Off-Board Sensing Station,” which is an unmanned aircraft that would extend a manned fighter’s sensing range and also potentially carry additional weapons for that aircraft. The cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts…

With One Week to Go, Thousands of Airmen, Guardians Set to Miss COVID Vaccine Deadline

Oct. 26, 2021

With a week to go until the Department of the Air Force’s Nov. 2 deadline for Active-duty Airmen and Guardians to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, nearly 95 percent of Active-duty Air Force and Space Force members are vaccinated, according to the latest data. At the same time, the Department…

Alternate Fighter Plan: Cut F-15EX, Extend F-22, Buy New Stealth Jets, More F-35s

Oct. 26, 2021

The Air Force’s “4+1” fighter plan for the 2020s, unveiled in recent months, will leave the service with a fleet that’s too small and improperly configured to deal with peer threats. What’s needed is a plan that emphasizes stealth aircraft; rapidly retires non-stealthy and expensive-to-maintain “legacy” airplanes; and doesn’t create…

ISIS-K Could Have Ability to Strike Outside Afghanistan in Six Months, DOD Official Says

Oct. 26, 2021

The Islamic State’s Khorasan branch, responsible for the suicide bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members during the evacuation from Kabul, could develop the capacity to strike outside Afghanistan within “six to 12 months,” Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Colin Kahl warned. Testifying to the Senate Armed Services Committee on…

NGAD, New Weapons, E-3 Replacement Among Air Combat Command’s Top Priorities, Kelly Says

Oct. 25, 2021

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…

AFRL, Industry to Launch Fourth-Generation Spacecraft Thermal Control

Oct. 25, 2021

The Air Force Research Laboratory will soon have the first operational oscillating heat pipes flying in space, marking the first operational application of fourth-generation spacecraft thermal control. The technology, which was previously tested aboard the secretive X-37B reusable spaceplane, is expected to be used in space for the next 20…

More than 53,000 Afghan Evacuees on US Bases as Pentagon Monitors Readiness

Oct. 25, 2021

More than 53,000 Afghan evacuees remain at eight military bases throughout the continental U.S., but despite the resources needed to support that population, the military’s readiness has not been adversely affected, Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby said Oct. 25. Kirby did acknowledge the time and effort it is costing…

US Supports ‘Stronger and More Capable’ European Defense, Austin Says

Oct. 22, 2021

The U.S. supports “a stronger and more capable” European defense, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III said during an Oct. 22 press conference in Brussels—but that defense should not duplicate the functions and capabilities of the NATO alliance.

New Hampshire Guard Selected as U.S. State Partner to Republic of Cabo Verde

Oct. 22, 2021

The New Hampshire National Guard was chosen to be the state partner for the Republic of Cabo Verde, an archipelago off the northwestern coast of Africa, after a “highly competitive” months-long selection process, the Guard announced Oct. 21. The State Partnership Program launched in 1993, just after the end of…

Related Content