The Air Force Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB, Calif., awarded graduate degrees for the first time ever earlier this month after completing a five-year accreditation process in May. During a graduation ceremony on June 7, 18 students from Class 07B received master of science degrees in flight test engineering. “This is a tremendous accomplishment for the school, the TPS staff, Edwards, [Air Force Materiel Command], and the Air Force,” said Col. Mike Luallen, commandant of the school. From November 2003 to April 2008, TPS worked through a series of processes with the Department of Education, Congress, and Southern Association of Colleges and School to get the school’s 48-week curriculum accredited to a master’s program. (Edwards report by SrA. Julius Delos Reyes)
The Air Force is leaning toward a less-sophisticated autonomous aircraft in the second increment of the Collaborative Combat Aircraft, the services chief futurist said. He also suggested that the next increment of CCA may be air-launched, a la the "Rapid Dragon" experiments conducted by the service in recent years.