Air Force and Northrop Grumman officials are winding up tests to determine whether production treatments would effectively protect the vehicle from electromagnetic interference. Testing has been taking place in the Benefield Anechoic Facility at Edwards AFB, Calif. The nose of the vehicle houses a high power satellite communication transmitter and extremely sensitive signals intelligence receiver processor systems in close proximity, creating the potential for interference. Company officials say the Edwards facility eliminates the need to conduct extensive flight-testing to verify EMI performance.
Less than a day after arriving in the Middle East, F-15E Strike Eagles from Seymour Johnson Air Force Base, N.C. defended Israel from an Iranian attack in April 2024. DUDE flight, four F-15Es from the 335th Fighter Squadron, downed two dozen Iranian drones in roughly 45 minutes.