DefenseNews

Here’s when the first T-7 trainer is to fly to Edwards Air Force Base

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force plans to fly its first T-7A Red Hawk trainer halfway across the country to Edwards Air Force Base in California for further testing as soon as Oct. 26. Col. Kirt Cassell, the Air Force’s T-7 program manager, told Defense News on Friday that the service’s first four T-7 test pilots are days away from beginning their familiarization and training flights at…
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DefenseNews

Boeing begins 3D-printing Apache helicopter parts

WASHINGTON — Boeing plans to begin testing a full 3D-printed main rotor system for the AH-64 Apache attack helicopter in the spring of next year as part of an effort to cut out long-lead times and improve the overall supply chains for parts that are typically forged, according to company officials. At the Association of the U.S. Army’s annual conference last week, a Boeing and ASTRO America…
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DefenseNews

No, Rafael’s ‘Iron Beam’ laser didn’t blow up missiles over Israel

WASHINGTON — Videos circulating on social media purporting to show a high-energy laser weapon destroying missiles during the Israel-Hamas war are actually altered clips derived from a military simulation video game. Cropped, low-resolution footage depicting swarms of overhead projectiles being intercepted in front of a tower are sourced from Arma 3, a photorealistic game billed as a “massive…
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DefenseNews

US Army considering aerostat overhaul as focus turns to Russia, China

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Army is examining how it can reinvigorate its aging fleet of blimp-like aircraft known as aerostats that serve as elevated surveillance and communication platforms. The service is interested in the updates amid a focus on countering the Russian and Chinese militaries, forces more sophisticated than those fought for decades in the Middle East. “Aerostat, I think, is…
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