Ideas
The Air Force’s Quiet Energy Revolution
Now, more than ever, energy is a critical means to maintain our strategic advantage. By Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James
Defense Systems
Air Force ups the ante on sense-and-avoid UAV technology
A $23.5 million contract awarded to DRA will fund improvements to a collision avoidance system that takes advantage of an unmanned aircraft’s existing sensors.
Defense Systems
Air Force awards deal for next-gen 3D radar
Raytheon wins a $19.5 million contract to get started on the first three of what could be 35 systems, which will form the backbone of ground-based air defense.
Science & Tech
The Air Force's Top-Secret Space Drone Is Finally Coming Back Home
Boeing's X-37B is coming home Tuesday after a record 22 months in orbit. What it was doing up there is still shrouded in mystery. By Tim Fernholz
Defense Systems
Air Force's secretive unmanned shuttle to use NASA's hangars
The X-37B unmanned mini-shuttle, which just returned after 22 months in space, will use former shuttle processing bays.
Threats
Inside the Mini-Hospitals the Air Force Is Using To Fight Ebola in Africa
The 25-bed Expeditionary Medical Support System—or EMEDS—hospital dispatched to Liberia last month will be used to care for health care personnel in Liberia. By Bob Brewin
Defense Systems
Air Force’s infrared satellite system gets to the next step
Lockheed and Northrop deliver the payload for the fourth GEO satellite in the Space Based Infrared System.
Defense Systems
Sign of the times: cyber's bigger role in Air Force's Red Flag
Cyber specialists test their capabilities during the service’s principal air-to-air combat training exercise.
Defense Systems
Air Force fires back at IG over Reaper buys
The service says that the DOD Inspector General's report on purchases of the unmanned aircraft used out-of-date information.
Defense Systems
ATK enters competition to replace Russian rocket engine
Solid-rocket booster manufacturer would compete with a United Launch Alliance-Blue Origins team for new Atlas V engine.
Defense Systems
Air Force looks to open up control of airborne sensors
The ISTAC program would allow third parties, not just the pilot, to control advanced targeting pods.
Defense Systems
Lightning strikes: Air Force center doubles its supercomputing power
Lab at Wright Patterson unveils a 1.28 petaflop Cray XC30, one of the world’s fastest distributed memory platforms.
Defense Systems
Air Force awards $40 million for electromagnetic research
River Research Institute, a non-profit organization, will conduct basic, applied and advanced research to improve C4ISR capabilities.
Defense Systems
In a first, Army and Air Force share one network at joint base
With the implementation in San Antonio of DOD’s first Joint Regional Security Stack, the services and DISA offer a glimpse of JIE’s future.
Science & Tech
F-22 Finally Makes Its Combat Debut Against Syria
Seven years after they were declared battle ready, the $370 million jet sees action. By Marcus Weisgerber
Defense Systems
Navy's Triton UAV takes its first cross-country flight
The unmanned maritime surveillance aircraft has flown from California to Maryland for the start of operational testing.
Defense Systems
ULA, Bezos join forces on new rocket engine
A commercial aerospace venture backed by Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos will work with the United Launch Alliance to develop a new engine for Atlas and Delta rockets used to launch many military satellites.
Defense Systems
Air Force wants a better way to map and analyze its networks
The MAMA program seeks increased mission assurance by analyzing network traffic flows and associated metadata.
Defense Systems
Air Force restructures to better tie cyber to core missions
New definitions of information dominance and an internal reorganization seek to align cyber capabilities with strategic goals.
Defense Systems