Northrop Grumman is now flight testing the advanced fire-control radar system for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The active electronically scanned array radar—AN/APG-81—has checked out in top form against airborne and ground-based targets, stated a company news release. Northrop plans to deliver the first system to Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Tex., in November. There it will meet up with the other F-35 avionics for additional testing.
‘Angry Kitten’ EW Pod Tested on Search-and-Rescue HC-130
April 17, 2026
The Air Force recently tested its “Angry Kitten” electronic warfare pod on an HC-130J during Exercise Bamboo Shield, showing the pod can turn the rescue platform into a command-and-control node and protect it from enemy radars.The tests follow what could be the pod’s first use in combat after it was…