RTX’s Raytheon unit was able to “significantly” extend the range of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile using mostly software changes in experimental tests last year, expanding the reach and lethality of the standard U.S. dogfighting weapon, company officials said Sept. 15.
Rapid Acquisition & Sustainment


Rapid Acquisition & Sustainment
The Air Force is finally poised to deal with the “Valley of Death” problem—the gulf between the invention of an innovative new technology and its deployment at scale to warfighters— leaders of the department’s science and technology enterprise told defense industry executives Aug 27.
The Air Force announced the first flight of General Atomics’ YFQ-42A on Aug. 27, a major milestone in the service’s effort to build semi-autonomous drones that can fly alongside manned fighter jets.
The Space Force recently stood up an acquisition unit that will oversee how the service rolls out new equipment for a slew of missions related to how the military gathers information in and communicates from orbit.
The Air Force is reorganizing the office that runs some of its most complex and expensive combat connectivity programs, hoping a fresh start can repair trust with troops after failing to deliver new capabilities to the front lines in a timely manner, the two-star general ...
If government is willing to pay, industry can fairly easily ramp up production of key items, including aircraft, the head of Northrop Grumman's aeronautics unit said.
President Donald Trump has nominated Marine Lt. Gen. Gregory Masiello to head the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Masiello is currently the head of the Defense Contract Management Agency and previously led the V-22 Osprey tiltrotor program.
The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile is behind schedule and may significantly overrun its expected cost, which could partially explain why the service is reviving the hypersonic AGM-183 Air-Launched Rapid-Response Weapon.
Small and medium businesses are still skeptical of defense work despite years of effort and a raft of legislation aimed at accelerating acquisition and breaking down barriers for new entrants—though that perception is slowly improving, according to a new industry survey.