Defense Systems

Air Force plans acquisition shakeup post-Afghanistan

Noting that some of the key Air Force systems used over Iraq and Afghanistan would be vulnerable in a hotly contested environment such as the Pacific theater, the military service is focusing on acquiring more stealthy aircraft systems in the months and years ahead.

Defense Systems

Air Force wants collision-avoidance technology for drones

The Air Force is seeking information on industry qualifications and capability concepts as a precursor to issuing a request for proposals for its Airborne Sense and Avoid Program for unmanned aircraft.

Defense Systems

AF Weapons School grads part of military's cyber elite

In June a half dozen airmen graduated from a cyber warfare course taught by the Air Force's elite Weapons School at Nellis Air Force Base.

Defense Systems

AF extends airborne comms relay program in Afghanistan

The Air Force on June 27 awarded a $782 million sole-source contract to Northrop Grumman to continue supporting a key airborne communications relay system in Afghanistan through September 2015.

Defense Systems

Air Force picks 12 small businesses for NetCents-2 services

The NetCents 2 Small Business Companion contract is the first of two Application Services contracts that will be available to the Air Force.

Defense Systems

Air Force’s NETCENTS-2 marks new round of delays with protest re-bid

The Air Force’s Network Centric Solutions 2 IT contracting vehicle, already fraught with multi-year delays because of its complexity, has hit another speed bump after its long-awaited $6.9 billion award in April triggered sharp protests from losing bidders.

Defense Systems

Air Force seeks assistance with drone control software

The Air Force will hold an industry day June 28 at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., to answer questions in advance of a pending request for proposals for assistance with drone software engineering support.

Defense Systems

Air Force picks provider for crypto systems upgrade

Air Force contract is part of intercontinental ballistic mission engineering and manufacturing development program.

Defense Systems

Air Force issues timeline for NetCents 2 product rebid

The Air Force has issued a new timeline for its $6.9 billion NetCents II products contract.

Defense Systems

Air Force SBIRS GEO-1 satellite on track for certification

The Air Force's Space Based Infrared System geosynchronous satellite is on schedule to achieve operational certification later in 2012.

Defense Systems

Air Force needs 600 more UAV pilots, sensor operators

The Defense Department is struggling to find enough people to operate its expanding fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles, and the Air Force in particular is suffering from the shortage.

Defense Systems

Research effort focuses on UAV teamwork on missions

The Air Force is looking for scientists and engineers who can develop technology to help different unmanned aerial vehicles collaboratively track targets.

Defense Systems

Analytics holds promise for AF preventative health care

The Air Force Medical Service is turning to analytics software to improve patient care and support research into preventive medicine and disease management.

Defense Systems

Comms overhaul to ballistic missile warning system in home stretch

Air Force squadron conducted challenging upgrade to ballistic missile warning communications system while maintaining 100 percent reliability throughout a six-year project.

Defense Systems

Air Force longs to forget it ever wanted Blue Devil airship

The Air Force is getting read to put the Blue Devil 2 airship into permanent storage.

Defense Systems

Budget blues force Air Force to cancel IT event

The Air Force's annual IT conference has been shelved for 2012 as event spending comes under tough government scrutiny.

Defense Systems

Future UAVs might have two-way voice to speed communications

The U.S. military is working on improving the man-machine interfaces between unmanned aircraft operators and the aircraft they remotely fly on missions.

Defense Systems

Phantom Eye holds promise, but has long way to go

Boeing's massive hydrogen-powered Phantom Eye UAV performed its first test flight at NASA's Dryden Flight Research Center June 1 reaching an altitude of 4,080 feet and a cruising speed of 62 knots, which is short of the performance attributes the military wants it eventually to achieve.

Defense Systems

Air Force takes corrective action, reopens bidding on NetCents 2

The Air Force has reopened the bidding for its $6.9 billion NetCents 2 products contract, according to an announcement on the FedBizOps website.

Defense Systems

Are the US military services in sync for net-enabled warfare?

It might seem as if the Army's strategy for tackling hybrid threats and the Air Force and Navy doctrine for AirSea Battle go off in different directions at a time when strategic synthesis is sorely needed in light of shrinking defense funding, but do they really?