Folks who were looking skyward in the Charleston, S.C., area last week got treated to a phenomenal sight as the smoke from flares released by a C-17 flying over the Atlantic formed into a “smoke angel.” Air Force officials say the sight is created by the vortex from the airlifter’s engines. C-17s from Charleston AFB, S.C., were flying a local training exercise on May 16.
The F-35 Joint Program Office has officially announced plans to issue multiple sole-source contracts to Pratt & Whitney to upgrade the fighter’s F135 engine—a widely expected move after Pentagon officials indicated they would do so earlier this year instead of developing an entirely new engine.