An F-35A from the 461st Flight Test Squadron at Edwards AFB, Calif., recently fired an AIM-9X Sidewinder air-to-air missile for the first time, according to an Air Force Materiel Command release. Lockheed Martin chief test pilot David Nelson fired the missile from the first F-35A test aircraft, AF-1, at 6,000 feet during a test flight over the Pacific Sea Test Range. “The shot paves the way for the F-35 to utilize the weapon’s high off-boresight and targeting capabilities, increasing lethality in the visual arena,” according to the release.
Pentagon Cancels $6B GPS Ground System Contract
April 20, 2026
The Pentagon has canceled its contract with RTX to field a ground segment to manage its most capable GPS satellites, a more than 15-year effort beleaguered by software development issues and cost overages.