Weapons Archives

US Air Force hopes to learn from Australia’s robotic wingmen efforts as it pursues collaborative combat aircraft

The Royal Australian Air Force's Ghost Bat drone is expected to enter the fleet by 2025.

20 hours ago By Mikayla Easley

An Air Force Research Lab conceptual design for an Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle (Artwork courtesy of AFRL)

Air Force plans to spend more than $6B on CCA drone programs over the next 5 years

In fiscal 2024-2028, the service intends to invest about $5.8 billion in R&D for collaborative combat aircraft, plus another $400 million or so for an experimental operations…

20 hours ago By Jon Harper

Rendering of Hypersonix Launch Systems’ DART AE vehicle. (Hypersonix Launch Systems image courtesy of DIU)

Australian startup tapped to provide airborne hypersonic testing platform for Pentagon

The Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) announced that it has awarded contracts for its HyCAT program.

4 days ago By Jon Harper

Wallops Island, Virginia, Oct. 21, 2021. U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs and the Army Hypersonic Program Office successfully conducted a High Operational Tempo for Hypersonics flight campaign. This test informed the development of the Navy’s Conventional Prompt Strike and the Army’s Long Range Hypersonic Weapon offensive hypersonic strike capability. (U.S. Navy Photo/Released)

Navy seeks $900M for hypersonics R&D, plans to buy 8 Conventional Prompt Strike missiles in 2024

The sea service is looking to buy eight “all-up rounds” and associated canisters for Conventional Prompt Strike weapons in 2024, marking the first procurement of the missiles.

Mar 14, 2023 By Jon Harper

An XQ-58A Valkyrie low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle launches at the Yuma Proving Ground, Ariz., Dec. 9, 2020. (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Joshua King)

Air Force requests approximately $500M in fiscal 2024 to launch new CCA drone program

The funding would go toward three lines of effort: platform development, autonomy development, and standing up an “experimental operations unit” to explore operating concepts.

Mar 13, 2023 By Jon Harper

A common hypersonic glide body (C-HGB) launches from Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii, March 19, 2020, during a Department of Defense flight experiment. (U.S. Navy photo/Released)

Pentagon cancels hypersonic missile test due to battery issue

The Army and Navy called off a planned flight test of a hypersonic missile that was scheduled for March 5, military officials said.

Mar 10, 2023 By Jon Harper

White House’s fiscal 2024 budget aims to accelerate combat drone development and procurement

The Biden administration proposes increasing the DOD's total discretionary budget authority to $842 billion, a 3.2% boost from the 2023 enacted level.

Mar 9, 2023 By Jon Harper

Artist’s rendering of a GA-ASI designed LongShot unmanned aerial vehicle firing a missile. (GA-ASI image)

DARPA’s LongShot air-launched drone program approaching key milestones

The initiative aims to develop an unmanned aerial vehicle that can employ multiple air-to-air weapons after being launched from a crewed aircraft.

Mar 8, 2023 By Jon Harper

Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall delivers a keynote at the AFA Warfare Symposium on March 7, 2023. (Photo by Brandi Vincent)

Air Force planning for 1,000 robotic wingmen

This figure was derived from assuming two CCAs each for 200 NGAD platforms and an additional two for each of 300 F-35s, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall…

Mar 7, 2023 By Brandi Vincent

Air Force acquisition executive Andrew Hunter briefs the media at AFA’s Warfare Symposium, March 6, 2023. (Photo by Brandi Vincent)

Air Force acquisition chief outlines new approach for more survivable, better networked next-gen tankers

The technologies envisioned for NGAS will likely have more self-protection and networking features — and will also have the “ability to go deeper into contested airspace,” Andrew…

Mar 7, 2023 By Brandi Vincent