Lockheed is working on an unmanned aircraft with significant new capabilities, Neil Kasena, director of advanced development programs—the “Skunkworks”—tells Air Force Magazine’s John Tirpak. The manta-ray-shaped craft, called “Serious,” has a central jet engine, which powers lift fans embedded in the wings for vertical takeoffs, landings, and hover. At speed, though, covers slide into place over the fans, making the wing seamless and stealthy. Full-scale wind tunnel tests are underway.
The Space Force should take bold, decisive steps—and soon—to develop the capabilities and architecture needed to support more flexible, dynamic operations in orbit and counter Chinese aggression and technological progress, according to a new report from AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies.
