Testers at Edwards
AFB, Calif., successfully completed the first five-bundle sequential Low Velocity Airdrop for the stretched C-130J, according to AFFTC. The bundles landed only five yards off the planned point of impact. While the stretch J is working its way toward operational testing, the basic C-130J in late June made its first combat airdrop flying a mission over Afghanistan.
The Air Force is launching an effort to develop a new stand-off missile with a range of 1,000 nautical miles, or 1,150 miles, that would eventually be used for both air-to-air and air-to-surface missions.