“Let me be really clear here, because I’m not giving you a budget number does not mean we are not doing anything,” said Gen. Arnold Bunch, Air Force Materiel Command head.
By Theresa HitchensA new approach to speed, scale and efficiency for the industrial base
Radars, EW, EO/IR, space imagery, and microelectronics are brought under one roof for a streamlined approach to common people and factories.
The B-21 program will not undertake traditional “block upgrades” to beef up future performance, says Air Force Global Strike Command head Gen. Timothy Ray. Instead, it will incrementally add new capabilities as they become available.
By Theresa Hitchens
Gen. Jay Raymond, Space Force chief, stressed that the new digital vision applies not just to service acquisition, but to everything the newest military service does, with a bottom-line goal of speeding decision-making.
By Theresa Hitchens
“This is a new effort, as the expanded mission now goes beyond a strict MQ-9 replacement,” an AFLCMC spokesperson said. “This endeavor serves to explore concepts that address capability gaps of legacy platforms against increasingly sophisticated threats in denied, contested, and highly contested environments.”
By Theresa Hitchens
The new simulation environment will use ‘digital twins’ to rapidly test and iterate “collaborative autonomous networked technologies,” AFRL explains.
By Theresa Hitchens
The Eagle Passive Active Warning Survivability System (EPAWSS) will let pilots to monitor, jam and deceive threats in contested airspace.
By Theresa Hitchens
The NGAD program “represents a chance to design an airplane that is more sustainable than the F-35, if in fact the F-35 cannot get its cost-per-flying-hour down,” said outgoing AF acquisition head Will Roper.
By Theresa Hitchens
B-21, hypersonics and more: How digital development is driving industry innovation
Technological advancements are key to keeping pace with customer demands and evolving threat landscapes.
“As a new service, we have an opportunity here to really establish ourselves in a new way — leveraging digital technologies, and leveraging digital processes and practices in a new way,” says Maj. Gen. Kim Crider, Space Force acting chief technology innovation officer.
By Theresa Hitchens
The Air Force’s new AI copilot could next be flown by a Skyborg drone, says AF acquisition czar Will Roper.
By Theresa Hitchens
“We’re learning from industry as we go,” said Eileene Vidrine, Air Force chief data officer.
By Theresa Hitchens
“We see a huge opportunity here to have a fused relationship with industry that will provide great advantage,” Gen. Raymond says.
By Theresa Hitchens
The Air Force has ordered 46 simulators and associated ground equipment, but can purchase up to 120 simulators under the current contract with Boeing.
By Theresa Hitchens
“With a flattening budget topline (at best) and many competing Air Force investment priorities, it’s not at all clear that this program will continue. We might just be left with a museum-ready prototype,” Teal Group’s Richard Aboulafia says.
By Theresa Hitchens “I really want industry feedback” about how to improve AFMC’s plans for incorporating digital engineering into its operations across the board, said Bunch.
By Theresa Hitchens
