U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane makes first flight with new avionics suite

A vintage Cold War spy plane is getting a new lease on life as Lockheed Martin’s notorious yet secretive Skunk Works completes the first test flight of a Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady with an upgraded avionics suite and cockpit displays.Continue ReadingCate… Continue reading U-2 Dragon Lady spy plane makes first flight with new avionics suite

Northrop Grumman to build advanced SiAW air-to-ground missile

The US Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a US$705 million contract to develop an upgradable next-generation air-to-ground missile called the Stand-in Attack Weapon (SiAW). The missile is designed to take on fast-moving targets behind enemy lines.C… Continue reading Northrop Grumman to build advanced SiAW air-to-ground missile

New images of B-21 Raider released as it begins ground engine tests

In the run up to its maiden flight later this year, Northrop Grumman and the US Air Force have released new images of the B-21 Raider heavy nuclear bomber as it begins ground engine runs at Northrop’s Palmdale, California, facility.Continue ReadingCate… Continue reading New images of B-21 Raider released as it begins ground engine tests

Plasma pulses promise real-life ‘freeze ray’

A team of scientists led by University of Virginia professor Patrick Hopkins is developing a plasma “freeze ray” that will be less interesting to super villains than to engineers looking for ways to cool electronics in the vacuum of space.Continue Read… Continue reading Plasma pulses promise real-life ‘freeze ray’

US Air Force taps JetZero to build prototype blended wing aircraft by 2027

Under a US$235-million contract, the US Air Force has tapped JetZero to build a prototype blended wing aircraft as a way to advance and demonstrate the capabilities of the technology that could lead to a new class of military transports.Continue Readin… Continue reading US Air Force taps JetZero to build prototype blended wing aircraft by 2027

Lockheed Martin’s anti-ICBM missile passes major development milestone

America’s Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) for countering rogue state ICBM attacks has passed a major milestone. Lockheed Martin has announced that the US Missile Defense Agency (MDA) has passed all design elements of the company’s NGI missile project… Continue reading Lockheed Martin’s anti-ICBM missile passes major development milestone

AI pilots US Air Force Valkyrie combat drone for the first time

The US Air Force’s XQ-58A Valkyrie experimental combat drone has made its first flight under the control of artificial intelligence. On July 25, 2023, the robotic aircraft completed a three-hour sortie at the Eglin Test and Training Complex in Florida…. Continue reading AI pilots US Air Force Valkyrie combat drone for the first time

NASA’s X-66A transonic plane doesn’t have a perfect wing, but it tries

NASA’s Sustainable Flight Demonstrator full-scale single-aisle research plane designed to explore net-zero aviation emissions and faster, more economical passenger flight near the speed of sound has been named the X-66A by the US Air Force.Continue Rea… Continue reading NASA’s X-66A transonic plane doesn’t have a perfect wing, but it tries