The Air Force is seeking information from the munitions industry on ammunition for the gun system on the new F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the close air support replacement for the A-10 and F-16. The rub is that the ammo must be lethal in both air-to-ground and air-to-air combat environments, according to a Request for Information, modified May 19 to remove the words “frangible armor piercing.” The USAF variant of the F-35 has a GAU-22A gun system that takes 25mm ammunition. According to the RFI, “none of the existing 25mm combat ammunition within the DOD inventory (PGU-20/25/32) can achieve the USAF required lethality.” It goes on to note that the limited ammo storage capacity on this new fighter make a multi-role, dual-purpose projectile design critical. And, any proposed ammo must be relatively mature technology. Response date is June 13.
Watchdog Says Military Can Make Cyber Ops More Efficient
Sept. 17, 2025
The Government Accountability Office called for paring down the military's sprawling cyber enterprise in a recent report, amid renewed discussion about standing up a separate cyber force.
