Army activates third multi-domain task force

Raytheon Technologies and its industry partner Northrop Grumman have been tapped to develop a new air-launched Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) for the Air Force.

Raytheon beat out Lockheed Martin and Boeing for the down-select for the HACM program. The companies had each done preliminary design work before the contract award to Raytheon was announced Thursday.

Air Force Special Operations Command plans to add a variety of weapons to its C-130 transport aircraft as it looks for innovative ways to use its legacy platforms.

Air Force officials have disclosed few details about the Raider, which is expected to be stealthy and capable of penetrating advanced enemy air defenses.

Following several organizational changes within the Air Force in the last three years, it will be conducting a sprint to examine gaps and resources needed to achieve superiority in the electromagnetic spectrum.

The Air Force plans to field new drones, or “collaborative combat aircraft,” to serve as force multipliers and keep pilots out of harm’s way.

The Army awarded L3Harris and Raytheon phase 2 OTA contracts to develop sensors for the Multi-Domain Sensing System, and eventually, the High Accuracy Detection and Exploitation System (HADES).

The Army is planning a critical operational test next year for its first brigade signals intelligence and jamming platform, with designs for a larger such system being bid by two companies.

There has long been concern about the ability to replace equipment losses during a large-scale conventional war. A senior Air Force official believes autonomous systems and software could be part of the solution.

The Air Force plans to develop “collaborative combat aircraft” in the coming years and link them with crewed systems.