The Advanced Tactical Laser concept program has progressed, with the addition of a high-energy chemical laser to the C-130H demonstration aircraft, according to a Boeing release. The company, which received the C-130 two years ago to begin modifications and low-power flight tests, last week added the HEL and its 12,000-pound subsystem, aligning it with the beam control system, at Kirtland AFB, N.M. Boeing VP Scott Fancher called it “tremendous progress,” adding that the test team will fire the laser at ground targets next year.
The United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force has unveiled a new electronic warfare drone designed to fly with fighter jets into contested airspace, including alongside its fleet of F-35s. RAF says it plans to develop models that draw on the U.S. Air Force’s approach of mating unmanned systems with crewed platforms.