Runway renovation at JB Charleston, S.C., is forcing commercial air traffic at Charleston International Airport to divert in poor visibility conditions due to a lack of civil navigation aids. Since Charleston airport and the base share runways, both civil and military traffic have been shifted to the base’s secondary runway while the main strip is under construction. While the Air Force is using a mobile microwave landing system, the secondary runway lacks an Instrument Landing System for civilian aircraft, the Charleston Post and Courier reported. “The FAA is responsible for procuring and maintaining navigational aids for civilian aircraft,” Capt. Frank Hartnett, base spokesman, told the Courier. The FAA discussed procuring navigation aids with USAF funding, but “there are no plans to put an ILS on the secondary runway,” according to Sue Stevens, airport director. Charleston’s 9,000 foot runway is scheduled for completion in November.
General Atomics, the maker of one of the Air Force’s first Collaborative Combat Aircraft, has ambitious plans for its family of semi-autonomous drones beyond the FQ-42, including a flying-wing aircraft capable of carrying out both reconnaissance and strike missions. Meanwhile, the Air Force Research Laboratory announced a new program to…