Northrop Grumman has delivered the first F-35 Lightning II integrated communications, navigation, and identification system ahead of schedule. The CNI system will provide more than 40 functions to F-35 pilots via the software-defined radios that enable “simultaneous support for dozens of critical capabilities while greatly minimizing size and weight,” say company officials.
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.