Engineers at Edwards AFB, Calif., have installed a first-of-its-kind aeronautical telemetry ground system at the Air Force Test Pilot School. The new system is expected to improve the ability of aircraft performance data to be transmitted to personnel on the ground during flight testing. The new equipment is capable of acquiring airborne telemetry data in the C-band, L-band and S-band frequency ranges. The prior system could only receive in the L-band and S-band. “Due to technological advances and the increase in civilian use of various frequencies … there has been a need to expand our range of frequencies for flight testing,” said John Ward, who manages this upgrade project. Early testing of this system has been very encouraging and it is expected to be fully operational by July, according to Edwards officials. (Edwards report by Kenji Thuloweit)
The Air Force and Boeing agreed to a nearly $2.4 billion contract for a new lot of KC-46 aerial tankers on Nov. 21. The deal, announced by the Pentagon, is for 15 new aircraft in Lot 11 at a cost of $2.389 billion—some $159 million per tail.