The Air Force Research Laboratory and Lockheed Martin have completed about 200 hours of wind tunnel testing on a next-generation tanker concept model. Using Lockheed’s Marietta, Ga., facilities, engineers collected some two weeks’ worth of aerodynamic data as they placed “tanker equipment” in various locations—such as on the centerline or as a wing-tip pod—to determine lift and drag and compatibility with advanced platforms. AFRL is collaborating with both Lockheed and Boeing in developing a future concept.
The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force has unveiled a new electronic warfare drone designed to fly with fighter jets into contested airspace, including alongside its fleet of F-35s. RAF says it plans to develop models that draw on the U.S. Air Force’s approach of mating unmanned systems with crewed platforms.