MAY 10, 2021 - The first B-1B Lancers resumed flight operations May 3 following a safety stand-down issued April 20 by Gen. Tim Ray, Air Force Global Strike Command commander. Individual B-1B aircraft will return to flight as inspections and maintenance directed during the stand-down are completed on each aircraft. During the stand-down, maintenance depot personnel … [Read more...]
B-52 Hypersonic Kill Chain a Success
MAY 7, 2021 - A B-52 Stratofortress from the 49th Test and Evaluation Squadron, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana, conducted a successful simulated hypersonic kill chain employment from sensor to shooter and back during Northern Edge 21, May 5, 2021. During the more than 13-hour sortie from Barksdale AFB, La. to Alaska and back, the B-52 was able to receive target data … [Read more...]
Guard Paints P-47 Scheme On Thunderbolt
MAY 6, 2021 - A heritage paint scheme on a U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II from the Idaho Air National Guard was revealed this week at the National Guard paint facility in Sioux City, Iowa. The historical paint scheme was designed as a tribute to the Thunderbolt’s World War II predecessor. The design on the A-10 was conceived by the 124th Fighter Wing of the Idaho ANG in … [Read more...]
Air Force Approves Manned Electric Airplane
MAY 6, 2021 - The U.S. Air Force has awarded the first airworthiness approval for a manned electric aircraft to BETA Technologies, a partner in the AFWERX Agility Prime program. This enables BETA to begin flying its ALIA aircraft in the Agility Prime program. The airworthiness award from the Air Force is the latest milestone in BETA’s test program after recently entering its … [Read more...]
Skyborg Has Successful First Flight
MAY 6, 2021 - The Skyborg leadership team conducted a 2 hour and 10 minute flight test of the Skyborg autonomy core system, or ACS, aboard a Kratos UTAP-22 tactical unmanned vehicle at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, April 29. Termed Milestone 1 of the Autonomous Attritable Aircraft Experimentation, or AAAx, campaign, the ACS performed a series of foundational behaviors … [Read more...]