Boeing finished a combined preliminary and critical design review with the Air Force for its Family of Advanced Beyond Line-of-Sight Terminals, announced company officials. “This achievement indicates we are ready to begin implementation of our design,” said Boeing’s FAB-T Program Manager Paul Geery in the company’s Oct. 8 release. The review validated enhancements to FAB-T’s Presidential and national voice conferencing capability, states the release. PNVC is designed to provide secure communications to the President, Defense Secretary, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and other senior military leaders in the chain of command of the nation’s nuclear arsenal. The review also “cleared the way” for internal FAB-T software deliveries, the first of which Boeing said it’s already completed. Boeing noted that the review came after the company converted its FAB-T work to a fixed-price contract mechanism in April. That move followed the Air Force early this year threatening to terminate Boeing’s work over dissatisfaction with the company’s progress. Switching to the fixed-price arrangement “demonstrates our commitment to providing best value and our confidence in our technical solution,” said Geery. (See also Making FAB-T a Reality.)
Seven F-22 Raptor pilots have recently been awarded one of the military’s highest decorations for their actions during operations in the Middle East. Six of the pilots were decorated with the Distinguished Flying Cross for their role in Operation Midnight Hammer, the June 2025 strikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.