Hypersonic Craft Is “Very Unique”: The joint Air Force and DARPA program to develop hypersonic technology comes in two parts: a glided or powered system and a link to low cost, responsive space launch vehicles. Air Force Research Lab’s Space Vehicles Directorate at Kirtland AFB, N.M., says the effort is it is on course to conduct the first glided hypersonic test vehicle flight in September 2007.
In the face of Chinese war plans to disrupt U.S. command-and-control networks in the event of a conflict, the Air Force needs to focus less on its “connect everything” efforts and prepare its combat aviators to fight without a constant connection to higher-ups, according to a new report from AFA’s…