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 Air Force has dispatched an element of its Natural Disaster Recovery Team to Guam in the wake of Super Typhoon Mawar, which has caused widespread damage on the island and at Andersen Air Force Base. The team will assess the damage and put together a recovery cost estimate for…