Northrop Grumman announced Wednesday that it has delivered the operational software package for the AN/AAQ-37 electro-optical distributed aperture system on the F-35 strike fighter. The delivery was made to Lockheed Martin, F-35 prime contractor, for integration on the stealth fighter once flight tests on surrogate platforms are complete. “This software delivery represents the final, full-performance, operational flight program-approved version, following an in-depth, eight-year product development and test phase,” said Mark Rossi, Northrop’s program development EO-DAS director. The AN/AAQ-37 is a high-resolution, omni-directional infrared sensor system that will provide F-35 pilots with advanced spherical situational awareness, including detection and tracking of missiles and threat aircraft. With DAS, the pilots will actually be able to see what’s underneath them through the floor of their aircraft.
CMSAF: Air Force to Train Every Airman on AI
May 11, 2026
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force David R. Wolfe said May 8 that the service is working on a new training program to ensure that every Airman is educated to use AI in their everyday job.