The Air Force and Northrop Grumman have successfully completed the critical platform design review of the E-10A multi-sensor command and control aircraft program, ensuring all platform design requirements have been identified and tested, says Northrop Grumman officials. The first Boeing 767-400ER airframe currently is being engineered for the program and due for delivery at Northrop’s Melbourne, Fla., facility in December 2007.
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.