The airmen at Edwards AFB, Calif., who test parachutes for a living have been practicing their trade with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter’s IGQ type 6000 parachute. Testers with the 418th Flight Test Squadron each made 10 jumps last month with the new parachute—jumping from a Twin Otter—to check if the canopy meets specifications. The F-35 incorporates the parachute harness unlike the F-16, where pilots wear their harness and hook in once seated in the Viper cockpit.
Navy CCA Program’s Shape Coming into Focus
Oct. 17, 2025
In announcing its Navy Collaborative Combat Aircraft contract, General Atomics has provided some clues as to where the service is heading with its version of an armed, autonomous fighter escort. It will likely be quite different from the Air Force version.
