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US Air Force performs proof-of-concept that could increase JASSM capacity on F-15E by Pat Host The US Air Force (USAF) on 11 May completed the Project Strike Rodeo (PSR) munitions proof-of-concept that validated loading five Lockheed Martin AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missiles (JASSMs) on a Boeing F-15E Strike Eagle, according to a service statement. This lays the foundation for follow-on flight testing that would more than double the F-15E’s JASSM-carrying capacity. The maximum number of JASSMs that any fighter can carry is two. Already a Janes subscriber? Read the full article ...

USAF plans to reduce fighter aircraft fleet to about four platform types 13 May 2021 by Pat Host The US Air Force (USAF) plans to reduce its fighter fleet from seven platform types to about four, or “4+1”, according to its chief of staff. General Charles Brown said on 12 May that these platforms will include the Fairchild-Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support (CAS) aircraft as that platform will be around for some time because of a re-winging programme. The fighter mix, he said, will also include the new Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) platform, the Lockheed Martin F-35A Lig...

Update: Lockheed Martin, Pentagon establish bi-directional communications between fifth-generation aircraft, ground units 11 May 2021 by Pat Host Lockheed Martin Skunk Works and the Pentagon for the first time established bi-directional communications between fifth-generation aircraft in flight while also sharing operational and sensor data to ground forces during a recent test, according to a company statement on 3 May. This flight test, named Project Hydra, linked a Lockheed U-2 Dragon Lady high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, five Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters ...

US Army awards FLIR Systems contract for Black Hornet 3 palm-sized UAVs 07 May 2021 by Pat Host The US Army has awarded FLIR Systems a USD15.4 million contract to procure Black Hornet 3 palm-sized unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), according to a company statement. The army has placed several orders for the Black Hornet 3 totalling more than USD85 million, FLIR Systems said. These include the first order, a USD2.6 million contract awarded in 2018. A soldier holds FLIR Systems’ Black Hornet 3 palm-sized UAV. The US Army awarded the company a USD15.4 million contract in March, to procure an unspe...

Sierra Nevada protests US Air Force's planned award to Sikorsky for HH-60W upgrades 06 May 2021 by Pat Host Sierra Nevada Corp (SNC) is contesting the US Air Force’s (USAF’s) intention to sole-source a USD980 million contract to Sikorsky for HH-60W Jolly Green II combat search and rescue (CSAR) helicopter upgrades. The bid protest, filed in the US Court of Federal Claims, alleges that the USAF’s intent to sole-source this contract violated the Competition in Contracting Act (CICA), which requires full and open competition in acquisition for supplies and services by US federal agencies. ...