The Engine That Would Not Go Quietly: General Electric and Rolls Royce continue to push to reverse the Pentagon plan to cancel the alternate F-35 Joint Strike Fighter engine. They and critics who fear downsizing to a single engine producer poses too much risk are working Capitol Hill. The political newspaper, The Hill, reports that a number of lawmakers plan “to grill” Pentagon officials over the decision. And, the list of Senators who have expressed concern now includes Sen. John Warner (R-Va.), powerful chairman of the Armed Services Committee.
Two of the Air Force’s semi-autonomous drones flew air combat maneuvers coordinated by an “AI pilot,” or mission autonomy software, in a test Oct. 26, a first for the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program.