• Training

  Boeing partners with Shield AI on autonomous pilot programme

  17th March 2023

  The agreement between Boeing and Shield AI will explore autonomous systems implemented into existing and future aircraft.

• Air Warfare

  Northrop Grumman to enhance US Air Force intelligence

  17th January 2023

  Northrop Grumman will help modernise the Air Force Research Laboratory Information Directorate's intelligence with AI solutions under the Intelligence Systems Infrastructure, Tools and Enhancements programme.

• Air Warfare

  HAWC missile completes flight trials as focus turns to maturing hypersonic technology

  31st January 2023

  Completion of HAWC flight testing means the US has two viable hypersonic missile designs that can be matured into future programmes of record.

• Air Warfare

  BAE selected to develop Quicksink anti-shipping seeker further

  12th January 2023

  Quicksink aims to give US forces another way to defeat ships.

• Training

  US Air Force AI-powered F-16 training jet takes the skies

  16th February 2023

  The reengineered artificial intelligence-driven, autonomous F-16 jet is fitted with an open system architecture and software that allows it to mimic the performance characteristic of other aircraft.

• Air Warfare

  Kratos divisions join US hypersonic Mayhem programme

  13th January 2023

  Kratos and Leidos will be part of the System Design Agent team for the Mayhem programme that will oversee designs, prototypes and tests of an air-breathing hypersonic weapon system for the US Air Force.

• Digital Battlespace

  Raytheon demonstrates multi-domain comms tech in air force trial

  21st November 2022

  Raytheon BBN has demonstrated the capabilities of its Robust Information Provisioning Layer (RIPL) in a trial for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  US Navy orders Valkyrie drones for 'autonomous collaborative killer' project

  5th January 2023

  The USN has followed in the USAF's footsteps by ordering a pair of Kratos XQ-58A Valkyrie UAVs.

• Air Warfare

  BAE Systems harnesses artificial intelligence for air operations planning

  11th November 2022

  BAE Systems has been award a contract by the United States Air Force to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tool for air operations mission planning in contested environments.

• Digital Battlespace

  US Air Force picks industry partner for next-gen signal processing research

  30th September 2022

  USAF-funded research will investigate high value-added signal processing algorithms, frameworks, and systems for electronic intelligence and related signal processing.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Expert claims ‘decentralised’ approach holds back USAF next-generation UAV ambitions

  6th September 2022

  Despite a number of Skyborg test successes, a defence expert has questioned how the development of next generation drones will advance without activities being concentrated and clear requirements set out.

• Uncrewed Vehicles

  Farnborough 2022: Kratos completes XQ-58A Valkyrie test flights for Skyborg

  19th July 2022

  The latest XQ-58A Valkyrie test flights will help to inform future Skyborg concepts of use for the USAF, says Kratos.

• Training

  CAE to support USAF multi-domain training

  5th July 2022

  A prototype contract awarded to CAE USA will see the development of software that will replicate capabilities and threats for virtual and live training.

• Air Warfare

  Farnborough 2022: Lockheed Martin delivers LANCE airborne directed-energy weapon to US Air Force Research Laboratory

  18th July 2022

  The new LANCE airborne directed-energy weapon features far better SWaP characteristics than a solution Lockheed Martin provided for the US Army five years ago.

• Training

  IT2EC 2022: Command Professional Edition set for development push

  6th May 2022

  Command Professional Edition, which began life as a commercial video game, has drawn a wealth of military and defence industry clients interested in its utility as a wargaming and simulation tool.

Programme Results - Defence Insight

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  Bandit (US)

  Programme Background Goal As stated by Alyson Turri, the AFRL Bandit programme manager, the goal is to "develop an unmanned platform that looks like a fifth-generation ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Off Board Sensing Station (OBSS) [USA]

  Programme Background What is OBSS? The USAF envisages OBSS as an attributable, low-cost and modular manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) platform with similar capabilities to Skyborg, a programme ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  ALUAV (India)

  Programme Background  Origins The development programme has its origins in the US-India Defence Technology and Trade Initiative signed between the nations in 2006 and renewed in 2015. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - small

  ALUAV (US)

  Programme Background  Origins The development programme has its origins in the US-India Defence Technology and Trade Initiative signed between the nations in 2006 and renewed in 2015. ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Skyborg [USA]

  Programme Background Programme Intention Skyborg is one of three USAF Vanguard programs outlined in the Air Force Science and Technology 2030 initiative. The program intends ...

Equipment Results - Defence Insight

• Data links

  QNT

  The QUINT Networking Technology (QNT) programme is intended to develop robust, affordable, miniature networked data link technologies suitable for use on weapons and by tactical ...

• Data links

  TTNT

  The Tactical Targeting Network Technology (TTNT) programme is intended to develop, evaluate and demonstrate reconfigurable, affordable, robust, interoperable and evolvable communications technologies to support emerging ...

• Subsystems: software

  SWARM

  CHI Systems worked with Lockheed Martin on a programme for the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to build software models that imitate human behaviour, and ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing

  XQ-67A

  In February 2024, GA-ASI first released images of the XQ-67A, a drone developed as part of a contract to support the USAF's Off-Board Sensing Station ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Demogorgon

  In late October 2021, the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) awarded Kratos Unnamed Systems Division an initial $17.68 million 12-month cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to develop an Off-Board Sensing ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  ULTRA

  The Unmanned Long-endurance Tactical Reconnaissance Aircraft (ULTRA) is a fixed-wing drone from DZYNE Technologies.  It is described as a long-endurance, GPS-harded intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance platform with full ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - tactical

  XRQ-73

  The US Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) unveiled the flying design of the XRQ-73 in June 2024. The aircraft has been developed under the  Series ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  XQ-58 Valkyrie

  The XQ-58 Valkyrie is a high-altitude, long-endurance, runway-independent, high-subsonic 'Loyal Wingman' UAS developed jointly by Kratos and the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to be used in ...

• Military UAS - fixed-wing, Military UAS - MALE

  Gambit (Series)

  The Gambit Series are five UAV variants based around the Gambit Core, a common system containing the platform's hardware: landing gear, baseline avionics, chassis, and other essential functions. ...

• Air Force Test Center

  The Air Force Test Center at Edwards AFB, California, is Air Force Materiel Command's centre of excellence for research, development, test and evaluation of aerospace ...