Sue Payton, the Air Force’s top acquisition official, says the Air Force may have a “new plan” that would save the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, according to Rebecca Christie of Dow Jones Newswires (article via CNNMoney.com). JASSM faces the chopping block after recent test failures. In fact, Payton told Pentagon reporters last month that problems with navigation system reliability were leading the service to seek other options. Payton told Christie that the Air Force is working with JASSM-maker Lockheed Martin to develop a “proactive, preventive plan where things aren’t going to break as much as they have.”
The B-2 Spirit remains grounded due to safety issues—and the plane’s stand-down is beginning to disrupt planned operations. According to information provided to the media, the stealth strategic bomber from the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base, Mo., was originally scheduled to participate in the latest iteration of…