US Joint Forces Command has joined forces with Lockheed Martin to pursue the ideal future joint command—resplendent in global information capabilities. The collaboration is a three-year R&D effort to determine the nature of the joint task force of the future and how a future commander might exercise command and control. A USAF officer, Lt. Col. Dewey Parker, is JFCOM’s principal investigator assigned to the effort. What does Lockheed get out of it? They get access to JFCOM warfighting subject matter experts and results from the collaborative work.
The Air Force is spending heavily on F-22 improvements through the end of the decade, suggesting it may not retire the jet in 2030 as it previously planned. New sensors, fuel tanks, communications, and electronic warfare systems are among the upgrades that comprise the package.