Northrop Grumman has shown off to the Air Force its new KillerBee low-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle, which the company says will provide surveillance and force protection for military bases, shipping lanes, borders, or convoys. The demonstration took place at the Air Force’s UAV battlelab at Creech AFB, Nev., where lab official Lt. Col. Douglas Larson expressed amazement at “how quickly it climbed to altitude.” Larson believes the low-observable UAV could “carry a lot more payload” and “could be used for several Air Force missions.”
Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Kenneth S. Wilsbach told lawmakers Apr. 30 that the service’s biggest airlifter, the C-5 Galaxy, has a 37 percent mission capable rate—one of several challenges facing the mobility fleet.