U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL)

By Graham Warwick
Photonic navigation sensors; Airbus and quantum computing; in-space refueling; alternatives to GPS for PNT.
Emerging Technologies

By Graham Warwick
GE’s small hybrid core; on-site hydrogen on demand; 3D-printing magnesium; and very-low-orbit space tracker.
Emerging Technologies

By Graham Warwick
LeoLabs has won a contract from the Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWerx innovation unit to develop an S-band 2D direct radiating array ground-based radar.
Commercial Space

By Steve Trimble
Development work on the U.S. Air Force’s experimental, hypersonic Mayhem vehicle has been paused following the completion of an early design milestone.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Guy Norris
The 4,000-lb.-thrust Draper has now amassed more than 50 hot fire tests.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Steve Trimble
U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall on May 2 flew on a highly modified version of the Lockheed Martin F-16 that was operated by an artificial intelligence (AI) agent.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Brian Everstine
Collaborative Combat Aircraft and Survivable Airborne Operations Center selections favor private companies as major primes set sights on larger awards.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Guy Norris
Piasecki Aircraft has unveiled a small air-launched UAV designed to glide autonomously from altitude and deliver logistics payloads.
Army Aviation Association of America

By Brian Everstine
The U.S. Air Force announced April 24 that it selected General Atomics and Anduril to continue designs for the first phase of its CCA program.
Army Aviation Association of America

By Brian Everstine
There are individual hybrid satcom terminal programs underway across each of the services.
Space Symposium

By Steve Trimble
About three years before its first scheduled fielding, the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft fleet has a new group of F-16-based testbed aircraft.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble
Umbra Space is the latest commercial space company to show that bistatic coupling of two radar satellites could be used to implement moving target indication.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Guy Norris
Hypersonic aircraft developer Hermeus has unveiled its first flying test vehicle—Quarterhorse Mk. 1—at its Atlanta facility.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Graham Warwick
Our roundup of the main aerospace and defense stories making the news this week.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems announced Feb. 29 that its XA-67A Off-Board Sensing Station (OBSS) flew for the first time the day before.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The service will select two companies to begin building CCAs, though with a cost-sharing agreement to bring along a third.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Guy Norris
The U.S. AFRL has decided to wind down its ambitious air-breathing hypersonic Mayhem development program, citing insufficient operational demand.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Steve Trimble
The San Diego-based UAS, propulsion and sensor company decided not to offer a bid for a high-profile UAS program as a prime contractor.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Brian Everstine
The service, blocked from starting new acquisition programs, used a long-standing autonomy demonstration effort to begin CCA work.
Budget, Policy & Operations

By Steve Trimble
A new contract awarded to Raytheon aims to expand the application and understanding of high-power microwave weapons beyond capabilities now entering service.
Sensors & Electronic Warfare

By Brian Everstine
New office outlines plans for future servicing, mobility and logistics.
Space

By Guy Norris
The startup details the Quarterhorse flight-test plan as concept design work accelerates for the follow-on Darkhorse hypersonic cruiser.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Steve Trimble, Guy Norris
As the first U.S. hypersonic weapons enter service, defense officials are searching for new ideas for high-speed propulsion and to dramatically reduce prices.
Missile Defense & Weapons

By Steve Trimble
General Electric has released new details of a plan to achieve reusable, air-breathing propulsion at hypersonic speeds by 2025.
Aircraft & Propulsion

By Guy Norris
Startup propulsion company Ursa Major has begun assembly of the first Draper engine for a new-generation, air-launched hypersonic target vehicle.
Missile Defense & Weapons