The British are Coming: For the first time in 15 years, the British Royal Air Force’s aerobatic team, the Red Arrows, will perform at a US air show later this year. The team is set to take part in this year’s AirPower over Hampton Roads, the three-day air show that begins June 20 at Langley AFB, Va. They will perform in place of the Air Force Thunderbirds aerial demonstration team that had a scheduling conflict. The Red Arrows last performed in the US in 1993 at Andrews AFB, Md. Also appearing at AirPower over Hampton Roads will be the F-22A, B-2A, C-17, F-15E, V-22 and historic airplanes such as the World War II-era P-51 and Vietnam War-era F-4. (Langley report by A1C Chase Skylar DeMayo)
A top Pentagon tech official called on industry this week to help the military develop “lighter, more efficient” directed energy weapons designed to go on aircraft and conduct special operations missions or down drones—areas where the Air Force’s directed energy efforts have been quiet as of late.