The Air Force has announced a series of upcoming public hearings to discuss its proposal to use low-altitude airspace in southern Colorado and northern New Mexico for training MC-130 and CV-22 aircrews from Cannon AFB, N.M. The hearings are scheduled for Oct. 18 in Montrose, Colo., and Oct. 19 in Alamosa, Durango, and Pueblo, Colo., according a Cannon release. The announcement comes on the heels of Colorado’s two Senators sending a letter to Air Force Special Operations Command, expressing concern over the proposal. Sen. Michael Bennet (D) and Sen. Mark Udall (D) call on the AFSOC leadership in their Oct. 7 missive to ensure that the decision process on the airspace is transparent and takes into account “existing civilian and military aviation operations, wilderness areas, agriculture, ski areas, and other national treasures,” including a nearby Army National Guard high-altitude range.
General Atomics, the maker of one of the Air Force’s first Collaborative Combat Aircraft, has ambitious plans for its family of semi-autonomous drones beyond the FQ-42, including a flying-wing aircraft capable of carrying out both reconnaissance and strike missions. Meanwhile, the Air Force Research Laboratory announced a new program to…