Northrop Grumman has opened the “first of its kind by private industry in the US” high-energy laser facility dedicated solely to military systems, states a company release. The Directed Energy Production Facility at Redondo Beach, Calif., will produce “powerful military lasers” that have “the potential to transform the way we equip our armed forces,” said Alexis Livanos, president of Northrop’s space technology sector.
KC-46’s Refueling Boom Damaged While Refueling F-22s
July 8, 2025
A U.S. Air Force KC-46 tanker suffered damage to its boom while refueling F-22 Raptors off the coast of Virginia on July 8, Air & Space Forces Magazine has confirmed, with reported radio communication from the crew indicating the boom “detached.”