The Air Force plans to launch in Fiscal 2008 an unmanned Orbital Test Vehicle—building on work from NASA’s defunct X-37 technology demonstrator. Service officials announced the effort Nov. 17, saying USAF would proceed with “full-scale development and on-orbit testing of an unmanned long-duration, reusable space vehicle.” The Air Force is working with NASA, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and prime contractor Boeing on the OTV program. Running the effort is the Washington, D.C.-based Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office.
A new Navy missile could fill a long-range air-to-air need for the U.S. Air Force’s fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-generation fighters. The Navy’s portfolio acquisition executive for munitions posted information on the AIM-424 Long Range Air-to-Air Missile online on Aug. 22, the same day it unveiled the project at the service’s…