The preliminary design of Lockheed Martin’s next-generation, mobile, long-range surveillance radar has received the Air Force’s approval, the company announced Wednesday. “The new radar’s open architecture will allow it to easily adopt emerging technology, expanding the system’s viability well beyond the typical 20-year life of today’s sensor systems,” said Mark Mekker, Lockheed’s ground-based surveillance radar director. Back in May 2009, the Air Force awarded contracts to both Lockheed and another company called Sensis to develop technology for the replacement to the service’s AN/TPS-75 air search radar. The Air Force dubs this notional surveillance system as the Three-Dimensional Expeditionary Long-Range Radar. USAF is expected to select one of the companies by early 2012 to mature its respective design into production.
The last remaining T-1 Jayhawk at JBSA-Randolph, Texas, took its final flight to the "Boneyard" at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz., on July 15. The 99th Flying Training Squadron will train pilots using T-6 and simulator until it gets T-7 Red Hawk in fiscal 2026.