Air Force and industry engineers are testing an enhanced version of the Rolls Royce AE3007 turbofan engine that powers RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles at the Arnold Engineering Development Center on the grounds of Arnold AFB, Tenn. These activities are taking place in the center’s T-4 test cell. Gary Meuer, the contractor managing the testing, said this is the first altitude test of this engine variant, which features upgraded turbine hardware and an improved combustor. “They [the customer and sponsor] are after fuel economy, not more performance, but more efficiency and endurance,” said Meuer. Andrew Jackson, the lead contractor engineer for the testing, said T-4 simulates the altitude and Mach number of the Global Hawk in flight. RQ-4s have an operational ceiling around 65,000 ft. (AEDC release)
B-1 Bomber Task Force Deploys to Misawa, Japan
Oct. 18, 2025
A quartet of B-1Bs from Dyess Air Force Base, Texas have landed at Misawa AB, Japan, likely for a series of exercises with Japanese, U.S. and Australian forces.
