Air Force Times reports that US Air Force officials are concerned that opting against a F-35 engine full replacement “could lead to the ‘collapse’ of the advanced propulsion industrial base in the U.S.”
Full Story (Air Force Times)
Tag: Military
Boom Supersonic, Northrop Grumman to Build High-Speed Emergency Response Military Aircraft
SPACE reports that Boom Supersonic and Northrop Grumman announced Tuesday a collaboration to develop “variants of Boom’s supersonic ‘Overture’ aircraft for military and emergency response.” Boom “emphasized its so-far unproven fleet will be able to support vital missions at high speed, bringing passengers and equipment to critical locations faster than the speed of sound.”
Full Story (SPACE)
Chinese Military Analyst Releases Plan to Hack Starlink
Bloomberg reports that in a paper “published this spring by the Beijing Institute of Tracking and Telecommunications Technology, a researcher urges the Chinese military to track and monitor every satellite in the sprawling Starlink network.” The paper, published in the Modern Defense Technology journal, reads Starlink “can provide more stable and reliable communication capabilities for the combat units deployed by the US military around the world. On the other hand, it also has the potential to provide high-definition pictures and even live video.” Therefore, Beijing should consider “a combination of soft and hard kill methods” in order to “make some Starlink satellites lose their functions and destroy the constellation’s operating system.” Space Law and Policy Solutions founder Michael Listner said, “This is a national security issue for the Chinese, they’re looking at Taiwan, if something happens, this system could be important for the Defense Department. Starlink offers the US military resiliency. You can hit our systems but we have backup capabilities.”
Full Story (Bloomberg)
Pentagon Weapon Tester’s Report Highlights F-35 Availability Problems
Air Force Times reports that a newly revealed Pentagon weapons tester’s report illustrates multiple issues with the F-35 in 2021, particularly in areas of availability rates and new software problems. The F-35 fleet “averaged 61% availability, below its target of 65%,” throughout 2021. Out of the “average 39% unavailable at any given time, 15% were down for maintenance, 16% were waiting on spare parts and another 8% were undergoing depot maintenance.”
Full Story (Air Force Times)
First B-21 Aircraft Starts Ground Testing, Assembly Begins on Sixth Bomber
Aviation Week reports that the first B-21 Raider “test aircraft has started ground evaluations, and the sixth example of the next-generation bomber has started production.” The announcement was made by the US Air Force at the Air Force Association’s Air Warfare Symposium on Thursday.
Full Story (Aviation Week)
F135 Engine Shortage Impacts F-35 Fleet
Aviation Week reports that a “shortage of Pratt & Whitney F135 engines that is already keeping more than four dozen Lockheed Martin F-35s grounded will continue to worsen.”
Full Story (Aviation Week)