An intelligence-surveillance-reconnaissance capability initiative that would electronically transmit information to commanders is being tested at the Joint Expeditionary Force Experiment 2006 at Nellis AFB, Nev. The new process would allow non-traditional ISR (NTISR) services to flow directly from aircraft to the Air and Space Operations Center and forward locations. The NTISR initiative will fill in current gaps with tactical forward sensor information through an Internet protocol-enabled network from aircraft with targeting pods, according to Maj. Simon Corley, the NTISR initiative lead. Several new technologies are being tested at this year’s JEFX exercises, including a new capability called Tactical Targeting Network Technology, which follows an Internet-based protocol system designed to quickly target moving and time critical targets, fully integrating weather data into the combined air operations center process.
Anduril and General Atomics will develop their Collaborative Combat Aircraft for the Air Force, beating out Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman, the service announced on April 24. But any of the non-selected companies can compete to actually manufacture the eventual design, the Air Force said.