The Dragon Lady is getting some new tools. BAE Systems says that the Air Force’s U-2 reconnaissance aircraft has attained initial operational capability with the new AN/ALQ-221 Advanced Defensive System. The AN/ALQ-221 is a modern integrated radar warning receiver and electronic countermeasure system that provides pilots with situational awareness and self-protection against current and future threats, according to BAE. The system is part of the Block 20 U-2 modernization program and is integrated with the aircraft’s upgraded avionics processor and multifunction cockpit displays.
The U.S. military has accepted six new F-35 fighters without radars installed—but none so far for the Air Force. Marine Corps Lt. Gen. Gregory Masiello, the head of the F-35 Joint Program Office, told lawmakers June 23 that the Marines have to date accepted six short takeoff and vertical landing…