Speed Racer

Skunk Works to Test Expendable ‘Speed Racer’ Collaborative Vehicle With Sub-$2M Price

Lockheed Martin will soon begin a campaign of flight tests of its “Speed Racer” uncrewed air vehicle, aiming for an expendable, modular vehicle that will cooperate with the F-35 and cost well below $2 million a copy, said the director of the company's Skunk Works division John Clark. Lockheed Martin has invested some $100 million in related technologies, collectively known internally as “Project Carrera,” named for the Porsche sports car, Clark said, to suggest a speedy program.
AETP

GE’s AETP Engine Completes Milestone Tests as Air Force Faces Decision on F-35

GE Aviation announced that it completed milestone tests for the engine it hopes will power Air Force fighters well into the future. GE calls its offering in the Adaptive Engine Transition Program the XA100, and the company hopes the Air Force will soon select it for the F-35A. That would open up the possibility of the engine also entering service in the Navy's F-35C. But Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall has said continuing the AETP program could bring it to over $6 billion in total, forcing the Air Force to buy fewer F-35s in a time of constrained budgets.
Schneider

Outstanding Airmen of the Year: Senior Airman Kristina L. Schneider 

The Air Force’s 12 Outstanding Airmen of the Year for 2022 will be formally recognized at AFA’s Air, Space & Cyber Conference from Sept. 19 to 21 in National Harbor, Md. Air & Space Forces Magazine is highlighting one each weekday from now until the conference begins. Today, we honor Senior Airman Kristina L. Schneider, a fire protection journeyman for the 179th Airlift Wing of the Ohio Air National Guard.

Radar Sweep

Here’s How the Air Force Could Change Its Job Assignment Process

Air Force Times

Air Force leaders are sifting through a list of proposed changes to how Airmen are assigned new jobs and may announce some updates by the end of September. After about a year at work, a panel of Airmen from across the service has floated more than 90 suggestions for assignment reform. Now it’s up to the Air Force’s personnel branch, the Air Force’s top enlisted leader, and other officials to bring some of them to fruition.

Widow of F-16 Pilot Alleges Possible Counterfeit Ejection Seat Parts in Lawsuit Against Defense Contractors

Military.com

Valerie Schmitz, wife of F-16 pilot David Schmitz, has filed a federal civil lawsuit against defense giant Lockheed Martin, Collins Aerospace, and several sections of Teledyne Technologies, alleging that components of her husband's ejection seat may have been counterfeit, leading to his death in a training accident June 30, 2020. Lockheed Martin manufactures the F-16 that Schmitz flew; Collins Aerospace builds the ACES II ejection seat system on the aircraft; and Teledyne Technologies makes the digital recovery sequencer for the system.

No Abortion Access for 40 Percent of Female Troops, Study Finds

Defense One

Because of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, at least 5,000 women per year working for the Defense Department are expected to face challenges when seeking abortions under new state laws, RAND analysts predicted in a new paper, concluding that it’s “logical” to believe more women will leave the military. The study is one of the most notable attempts yet to analyze or determine what impact the court’s decision will have on military readiness.

The Lowdown From Luke: Inside the Air Force’s Biggest Fighter Wing

The Drive

A seemingly never-ending procession of F-16 and F-35 fighter jets taxi out, depart, and recover at Luke Air Force Base in Arizona each working day. The scale of the air power training operation at this sprawling air base near Phoenix is awe-inspiring. “Luke is the largest fighter wing in the world, and it also has the largest ops wing in the world,” said Lt. Col. Jason “Trunk” Bartels, chief of integration at the resident 56th Fighter Wing.

Pentagon to Pour $1.2 Billion Into ‘Critical’ Biomanufacturing Industry

Breaking Defense

The Pentagon announced $1.2 billion in new investments into biomanufacturing, which it hopes will help lessen the impact of supply chain squeezes and “enhance” everything from hypersonic weapons to submarines. “The Department recognizes biotechnology as a Critical Technology Area that will change the way the DoD develops new capabilities, conducts missions, and adapts to major global changes,” said Heidi Shyu, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering.

Space Development Agency Launch Delayed by Supply Chain, Bid Protests

Defense News

The Space Development Agency’s first major launch will be delayed until at least December due in part to supply chain issues and protests over contract awards. The mission was scheduled to launch Sept. 29 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and would have included a mix of missile tracking and data relay satellites—all part of the first batch of SDA capability, dubbed “Tranche 0.”

Japan, Germany Declare Moratorium on Anti-Satellite Missile Tests

SpaceNews

Japan and Germany pledged not to conduct direct-ascent anti-satellite (ASAT) missile testing, throwing their weight behind the U.S.-driven initiative to promote peaceful and safe use of outer space. The two countries announced their commitment during the second session of the U.N. Open-Ended Working Group on reducing space threats.

One More Thing

These Are the Best (and Most Absurd) Unit Patches in the US Military

Task & Purpose

Patches. Unless you are in the Marines, you’re probably wearing some on your uniform or have them plastered across your kit right now. And with so many units, so many patches, there is plenty of room for creativity, interesting patterns, and the chance to get downright weird. Oftentimes, patches—particularly unofficial ones—are generated by the service members who will be wearing them, which gives them some extra flair. Those patches can reference pop culture, historical ties, or inside jokes.