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Air Force reportedly gave the OK for F-15E model fighters to resume flying operations, after grounding the entire F-15 fleet earlier this month following the Nov. 2 crash of an Air National Guard F-15C. The Goldsboro (N.C.) News-Argus reports that USAF has lifted the grounding order for the E models, including those flown by the 4th Fighter Wing at Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C. They were due to start flying again Wednesday, after a “short maintenance spin up,” Col. Steve Kwast, 4th FW commander, told the newspaper. The E model has a stronger airframe than the A-D models, since the Air Force developed the Strike Eagle specifically for air-to-ground missions. Initial reports from the accident investigation indicate the C model F-15 may have suffered a structural failure in flight.
Facing competition from fast-growing startups, Lockheed Martin is speeding up production of an “affordable, scalable” hypersonic glide body, dubbed the Next Generation Glide Body, the firm said in a June 24 release.