Boeing delivered the second C-17 transport to the United Arab Emirates in a ceremony at the company’s plant in Long Beach, Calif. The UAE Air Force and Air Defense’s first C-17 “delivered just one month ago, has already logged several missions. And that’s what the C-17 is all about—being ready to perform any mission, anywhere, on a moment’s notice,” said Rich Cutting, Boeing’s UAE airlift program manager during the June 10 handover of the second airframe. The Persian Gulf state has a total of six C-17s on order, four of which are scheduled for delivery this year, with the final two airframes on course for delivery in 2012. In addition to the C-17s, UAE has ordered 12 new-build Lockheed Martin C-130Js from the United States to meet is medium transport needs. (Boeing release)
A semi-autonomous Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone shot down an air-to-air target in a Dec. 8 test supported by the U.S. Air Force, a notable milestone in the development of the loyal wingman-type drones that will join the fleets of the USAF, other American services, and allies and adversaries.
