US Air Force one step closer to turning cargo planes into makeshift bombers

US Air Force one step closer to turning cargo planes into makeshift bombers
US Air Force one step closer to turning cargo planes into makeshift bombers

Next month, the Air Force will see if it can launch a live cruise missile from a pallet that was air dropped by a cargo plane.

Service Leaders Push For Earlier S&T Cooperation In Indo-Pacific

Service Leaders Push For Earlier S&T Cooperation In Indo-Pacific
Service Leaders Push For Earlier S&T Cooperation In Indo-Pacific

“We often talk about ‘interoperability’, okay, the ability to operate with another nation, or even among the services,” says Rear Adm. Loren Selby, Office of Naval Research chief. “But there’s a distinct difference between interoperability and interchangeability,” which involves developing “specs and standards together” to meet mutual requirements.

AFRL’s Golden Horde To Test Swarming Munitions In Digital ‘Colosseum’

AFRL’s Golden Horde To Test Swarming Munitions In Digital ‘Colosseum’
AFRL’s Golden Horde To Test Swarming Munitions In Digital ‘Colosseum’

The new simulation environment will use ‘digital twins’ to rapidly test and iterate “collaborative autonomous networked technologies,” AFRL explains.

B-52 Could Get New Hypersonic Missile: Global Strike Commander

B-52 Could Get New Hypersonic Missile: Global Strike Commander
B-52 Could Get New Hypersonic Missile: Global Strike Commander

“Certainly, we’re in the in the conversation for the HACM as that gets developed,” Global Strike Command head Gen. Timothy Ray said.

AF, Navy May Both Fly DARPA Missile Mothership

AF, Navy May Both Fly DARPA Missile Mothership
AF, Navy May Both Fly DARPA Missile Mothership

One of three current contenders for the LongShot program will be chosen to go into flight test, “based on the currently allocated budget,” a DARPA spokesperson told Breaking D.

THOR: Air Force Tests Counter-Drone Microwave In Africa

THOR: Air Force Tests Counter-Drone Microwave In Africa
THOR: Air Force Tests Counter-Drone Microwave In Africa

“I’ve watched it in action and its really quite impressive,” says Air Force Chief Scientist Richard Joseph.

DoD Kicks Off New Hypersonic Program; F-18 To Get Hypersonic Cruise Missile

DoD Kicks Off New Hypersonic Program; F-18 To Get Hypersonic Cruise Missile
DoD Kicks Off New Hypersonic Program; F-18 To Get Hypersonic Cruise Missile

The Pentagon will retain strict security protocols to ensure “we’re not training Chinese scientists that are going to go help their programs” said Gillian Bussey, head of the Joint Hypersonic Transition Office 

First Joint Exercise To Test All-Domain Capabilities: Valiant Shield 2020

First Joint Exercise To Test All-Domain Capabilities: Valiant Shield 2020
First Joint Exercise To Test All-Domain Capabilities: Valiant Shield 2020

The exercise also served as the Air Force’s third “On Ramp” demo for its Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS), demonstrating a new software for battlefield situational awareness.

ARRW To Mayhem To The Future Of Hypersonic Operations

ARRW To Mayhem To The Future Of Hypersonic Operations
ARRW To Mayhem To The Future Of Hypersonic Operations

“How are we going to employ hypersonic weapons, what do they bring to the battlefield?,” asks Maj. Gen. Mark Weatherington, commander of the 8th Air Force and the Joint-Global Strike Operations Center.

DoD Drafts Guidelines For Laser Design

DoD Drafts Guidelines For Laser Design
DoD Drafts Guidelines For Laser Design

The Pentagon’s draft “reference architecture,” which also covers high-powered microwave weapons, will be circulated for industry comment early next year.

Troops To Test AFRL’s THOR Drone Killer This Fall

Troops To Test AFRL’s THOR Drone Killer This Fall
Troops To Test AFRL’s THOR Drone Killer This Fall

THOR puts high-powered microwaves to fry drone swarms’ electronics in a rugged and deployable package.

DoD Needs Plans To Protect Commercial Space Industry, Says New Study

DoD Needs Plans To Protect Commercial Space Industry, Says New Study
DoD Needs Plans To Protect Commercial Space Industry, Says New Study

“Our mission in the Space Force will become to protect that commerce, and I like to talk about it in terms of protecting the ‘celestial lines of commerce,’ or the space lines of commerce,” says Col. Eric Felt, head of the Space Vehicles Directorate at Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

AF Will Choose Skyborg Prototypes This Summer

AF Will Choose Skyborg Prototypes This Summer
AF Will Choose Skyborg Prototypes This Summer

The drone’s mission set “could be anything from base defense to communications to sensing,” said AFLCMC’s Brig. Gen. Dale White.

‘A Golden Age For Collaboration’ On Lasers & Microwaves: But Watch The Cheetos!

‘A Golden Age For Collaboration’ On Lasers & Microwaves: But Watch The Cheetos!
‘A Golden Age For Collaboration’ On Lasers & Microwaves: But Watch The Cheetos!

 “I spent the first 15 years of my career walking around in a lab with a laser, saying ‘does anyone want this…’ and the warfighter [kept] going ‘that’s adorable,’” Craig Robin recalled ruefully. “Just recently there’s been a tremendous pull [because] we simply just got out it into the user’s hands and they recognized the value.”