With upgrades, the Air Force’s nuclear-warhead-carrying air launched cruise missile will be viable for two more decades, says Gen. Kevin Chilton, head of US Strategic Command. Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Chilton said ALCM “can be easily extended until 2030” with “modest investments” in upgrades. This approach is “appropriate” and will allow the US “to begin studies in about the 2015 time period to see what would be the follow-on replacement” to ALCM, he said during the July 20 hearing on the New START arms control agreement with Russia. The Air Force announced in February its intent to explore an ALCM replacement together with the Navy. The sea service is already retiring its nuclear Tomahawk cruise missiles. (Chilton’s written testimony) (For more on ALCM, see The Cruise Missile Question from the February issue of Air Force Magazine)
There is a new entrant in the highly competitive field of collaborative combat aircraft—semi-autonomous drones meant to fly alongside manned combat aircraft. Northrop Grumman unveiled its new Project Talon aircraft to a small group of reporters at the facilities of its subsidiary Scaled Composites.
