Air Warfare

Back to the Future: Resurrecting ‘Air/Sea Battle’ in the Pacific

Back to the Future: Resurrecting ‘Air/Sea Battle’ in the Pacific
Back to the Future: Resurrecting ‘Air/Sea Battle’ in the Pacific

An earlier Air/Sea battle concept was a good start but weakened through forced parochial jointness to include other services that were not ready to contribute, argue experts from the Center for Maritime Strategy.

DIU asks industry for help getting hypersonic test jet closer to lift off

DIU asks industry for help getting hypersonic test jet closer to lift off
DIU asks industry for help getting hypersonic test jet closer to lift off

DIU is now seeking commercial materials and systems, such as for propulsion and alternative navigation, to test on its planned hypersonic test jet.

UK reveals capture of Russian equipment, instructs industry to develop new countermeasures

UK reveals capture of Russian equipment, instructs industry to develop new countermeasures
UK reveals capture of Russian equipment, instructs industry to develop new countermeasures

The official declined to discuss which specific systems have been captured and passed over to intelligence groups and industry, but the revelation provides new evidence of the ways in which the UK is actively gaining first-hand insight to Kremlin technologies.

As combat evolves, Israel’s IAI dashes for smaller, ‘tactical’ UAV market

As combat evolves, Israel’s IAI dashes for smaller, ‘tactical’ UAV market
As combat evolves, Israel’s IAI dashes for smaller, ‘tactical’ UAV market

IAI senior official Moshe Levy told Breaking Defense the company is experimenting with several designs to aid ground units in combat.

US Army selects Epirus’ Leonidas for high-power microwave initiative

US Army selects Epirus’ Leonidas for high-power microwave initiative
US Army selects Epirus’ Leonidas for high-power microwave initiative

“IFPC-HPM provides much needed protection against adversarial UAS swarms capable of targeting and overwhelming US and allied air defense systems,” the Army said in budget request documents.

Marine Corps buying Valkyrie drones to investigate ‘future autonomous platforms’

Marine Corps buying Valkyrie drones to investigate ‘future autonomous platforms’
Marine Corps buying Valkyrie drones to investigate ‘future autonomous platforms’

Steve Fendley, president of Kratos’ unmanned systems division, told Breaking Defense he thinks the adaptability of the Valkyrie for different mission sets has the Air Force, and now the Marines, interested in the platform.

Pentagon’s annual weapon test report reverses classification, details major program challenges

Pentagon’s annual weapon test report reverses classification, details major program challenges
Pentagon’s annual weapon test report reverses classification, details major program challenges

The report, without “controlled unclassified information” redactions, discusses concerns with major weapons programs from ships to planes to hypersonic missiles.

Jordan inks deal for 12 Block 70 F-16s from Lockheed Martin

Jordan inks deal for 12 Block 70 F-16s from Lockheed Martin
Jordan inks deal for 12 Block 70 F-16s from Lockheed Martin

The US State Department approved the deal in February, saying the planes and associated equipment would cost some $4.21 billion.

The B-21’s possible future role in maritime strike

The B-21’s possible future role in maritime strike
The B-21’s possible future role in maritime strike

Little is known about the details of the newly unveiled B-21 bomber, but IISS’s Ben Ho writes that from what we know, its mission set could expand to the sea.

Israel formally requests 25 F-15 EX from the US: Sources

Israel formally requests 25 F-15 EX from the US: Sources
Israel formally requests 25 F-15 EX from the US: Sources

Jerusalem previously expressed interest in the F-15s, along with F-35s, but political instability delayed the official move.

DARPA taps Aurora Flight Sciences for CRANE X-Plane design

DARPA taps Aurora Flight Sciences for CRANE X-Plane design
DARPA taps Aurora Flight Sciences for CRANE X-Plane design

The goal of the CRANE program is to pioneer the use of active flow control (AFC) techniques, that allow a pilot to change the aerodynamics of the plane and thus its performance.

Leonardo: If UK wants to meet new medium helo target, industry needs design details

Leonardo: If UK wants to meet new medium helo target, industry needs design details
Leonardo: If UK wants to meet new medium helo target, industry needs design details

“Clearly the longer these negotiations take…. the harder it is for any defense contractor to be able to then say that they’ve got a low-risk solution, [especially] if the end date for delivery doesn’t move,” Adam Clarke, managing director at Leonardo Helicopters UK, told Breaking Defense.

Aussies stick with Black Hawks in 40-helo, $1.7B deal to replace Airbus Taipans

Aussies stick with Black Hawks in 40-helo, $1.7B deal to replace Airbus Taipans
Aussies stick with Black Hawks in 40-helo, $1.7B deal to replace Airbus Taipans

The decision to buy more Black Hawks was particularly interesting as the country is in the midst of a Defense Strategic Review assessing the full panoply of force structure and spending decisions.

F-22 to be left out of Air Force’s ABMS data transfer prototype: GAO

F-22 to be left out of Air Force’s ABMS data transfer prototype: GAO
F-22 to be left out of Air Force’s ABMS data transfer prototype: GAO

The Air Force also needs to define which initial capabilities it plans to deliver under another ABMS effort this year, the Government Accountability Office says in a new report.