Personnel from the Air Force Flight Test Center at Edwards AFB, Calif., are wrapping up a four-phase test program to certify the C-17 airlifter for a wider variety of dirt surfaces. The final phase, being conducted at Ft. Chafee in Arkansas now, will run through Nov. 3, reports the Times Record. The Arkansas Air National Guard’s 188th Fighter Wing at Ft. Smith is hosting the test group. The Edwards team conducted earlier testing at Ft. Hunter Liggett, Calif., Ft. McCoy, Wis., and Edwards.
RTX’s Raytheon unit was able to “significantly” extend the range of the AIM-120 Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile using mostly software changes in experimental tests last year, expanding the reach and lethality of the standard U.S. dogfighting weapon, company officials said Sept. 15.