Beginning in Fiscal 2018, the Air Force will have a dedicated $100 million budget focused just on experimentation, said Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch, the service’s military deputy for acquisition. Speaking at an Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International event Wednesday in Arlington, Va., Bunch said he and Lt. Gen. Mike Holmes, currently the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for strategic requirements, will serve on a council to oversee the budget and prioritize new technology the Air Force may develop to counter future threats. Bunch said the Air Force also is looking to partner with industry in new ways going forward to experiment. The work is expected to build on efforts the service has started on new ways to conduct close air support, use directed energy, and defeat agile intelligence targets, Bunch said.
A Golden Dome task force established under U.S. Northern Command earlier this year has a broad remit, which includes fielding the capability to defend the U.S. against missile and drone attacks, its leaders said this week. Some of the primary focuses right now are ensuring Golden Dome can defend itself…