Using gaming industry technology, Raytheon has developed a new “cockpit” for unmanned aerial vehicles and calls it the Universal Control System. Raytheon officials say they sought to build the system around the operator, developing a wrap-around display that will give the operator more situational awareness than any manned platform. The UCS has an “intuitive interface technology” that Raytheon says will make “UAS operators much more effective in learning the UCS system and with significantly less training.”
The rate of building B-21 bombers would speed up if the fiscal 2026 defense budget passes. But it remains unclear how much capacity would be added, and whether the Air Force would simply build the bombers faster, or buy more.