Aurora Flight Sciences’ Orion remotely piloted aircraft recently completed its first flight, announced the company. The test of the long-endurance RPA took place on a range in the western United States on Aug. 24, states the company’s Sept. 17 release. During the three-and-a-half-hour flight, Orion reached a maximum altitude of 8,000 feet above mean sea level, according to the company. The company is developing Orion under Air Force sponsorship as part of a Defense Department joint capability technology demonstration. The long-endurance RPA is designed for information-gathering and communications-relay roles. Orion will be able to fly for five days with a 1,000-pound payload at 20,000 feet in altitude, according to the company’s website. It can also carry munitions on its wing hardpoints.
Pentagon Releases Cost of Living, BAH Rates for 2026
Dec. 30, 2025
The Pentagon will pay cost of living allowances to 127,000 service members in the continental U.S. in 2026, an increase of 66,000 members in 2025. Airmen and Guardians across the U.S. will also receive an average increase of 4.2 percent for their Basic Housing Allowance, compared to the 5.4 percent…
