Northrop Grumman completed Block 20 upgrades to the E-8C Joint STARS. With the entire fleet of ground surveillance aircraft operating at the same “open systems” configuration, Northrop says the Air Force can make future hardware and software upgrades at a lower cost. The upgrade also increases mission effectiveness.
A top Pentagon tech official called on industry this week to help the military develop “lighter, more efficient” directed energy weapons designed to go on aircraft and conduct special operations missions or down drones—areas where the Air Force’s directed energy efforts have been quiet as of late.