The RQ-11B Raven, an unmanned aerial vehicle reminiscent of a foam model aircraft, is making a “big splash” in Afghanistan, reports SSgt. Mike Andriacco. The tiny Raven can fly 10,000 feet above sea level and remotely sends live high-resolution footage back to the operator. As we reported earlier, the Air Force adopted the Raven from the Army, liking its durability and the fact it can be hand-launched. It can fly for one and a half hours on a single charge.
A new Air Force plan for how many fighters it needs in the next decade marks a sharp upturn from what it thought it needed just seven years ago. But analysts worry that the aspirational plan now in Congress' hands doesn’t make a tight enough connection to national strategy.
