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.”
National Guard adjutants general from nearly two dozen states have signed a letter to Congress seeking multiyear funding for the Air Force to purchase between 72 and 100 new fighter jets per year to modernize the total force.The letter, sent to Congress last week, stresses the need for the Air…