In the 2007 defense authorization billed, passed by Congress late last month and now awaiting the President’s signature, lawmakers have directed the Pentagon to create a joint technology office on hypersonics to oversee all military programs and coordinate with NASA. Congress also is asking for DOD to produce a hypersonics roadmap every two years; the first is due with the 2008 budget submittal. The Air Force is very interested in hypersonics, but service and industry officials have ruled out its application as premature for the new long-range strike platform, which is to be fielded by 2018.
U.S. Air Forces Central has awarded an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity contract worth up to $270 million to a California-based company to provide an ultra-long range, solar-powered drone capable of 75 hours of flight.