One day after Canada and the US celebrated NORAD’s 50th anniversary, dignitaries from both nations participated in the opening ceremony of the new NORAD-US Northern Command integrated command center May 13 at Peterson AFB, Colo. “This is really the culmination of a lot of great effort,” said Air Force Gen. Victor E. Renuart Jr., commander of NORAD and NORTHCOM. He added, “Our command center will be a huge improvement in our ability to integrate situational awareness, to begin to respond to a major event in either of our countries, and then to take the national capabilities that respond to disasters, both man-made and natural, and bring relief to our citizens in our communities.” NORAD and NORTHCOM shared a commander and a headquarters building since 2002, when the latter was established, but up until now, not a fully integrated command center. NORAD formerly ran its operations out of Cheyenne Mountain AFS, Colo. (Peterson report by Army Sgt. 1st Class Gail Braymen)
General Atomics, the maker of one of the Air Force’s first Collaborative Combat Aircraft, has ambitious plans for its family of semi-autonomous drones beyond the FQ-42, including a flying-wing aircraft capable of carrying out both reconnaissance and strike missions. Meanwhile, the Air Force Research Laboratory announced a new program to…