While in Washington the Joint Strike Fighter appears to be on the Quadrennial Defense Review cutting-room floor, members of the JSF integrated test force at Edwards AFB, Calif., are working hard to develop a means for the F-35 to withstand deadly chemical and biological assaults it may encounter in a future war. Testers are using a retired F-16 as a JSF stand-in during a series of three biological trials—involving a harmless spore with similarities to anthrax injected into the engine to contaminate environmental controls—and four simulated chemical agent trials. The JSF is the first fighter to have a requirement to survive chem-bio attack.
The Pentagon has concluded a new agreement to buy laser-guidance kits that turn rockets into drone-killing weapons. BAE Systems and the Defense Department announced a framework deal of up to seven years for 25,000 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System guidance kits annually for the U.S. military.