A team of scientists working under an Air Force Office of Scientific Research-funded effort may have found a “simple, reliable, and cost effective” way to manipulate a laser beam to sustain high data rates under a variety of conditions, reports Maria Callier of AFOSR. Their wave optics simulation could prove useful for space communications, optical tracking, and other Air Force applications. “If successful, our work can lead to free space communication systems that can carry high bandwidth data, that are almost impossible to intercept,” said team leader David Voelz with New Mexico State University.
PHOTOS: Air Force Shows Off Second B-21 in New Images
Sept. 12, 2025
On Sept. 12, the Air Force released half a dozen new photos of the second B-21 bomber to fly, giving observers and aviation enthusiasts another glimpse of the secretive Raider.