Category: Research

In late 2022, the Air Space Total Awareness for Rapid Tactical Execution (ASTARTE) program, a joint collaboration between DARPA, the Army, and the U.S. Air Force, successfully demonstrated new automated flightpath-planning software in a simulated battle in contested airspace. The software was able to deconflict friendly missiles, artillery fire, and manned and unmanned aircraft while avoiding enemy fires.

Graphic: DARPA
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The X-62A has been flown by artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms developed under DARPA’s Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program for 17 hours during test flights at the Air Force Test Pilot School (TPS) at Edwards Air Force Base, California.

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The U.S. Air Force (USAF) has chosen Electra Aero for a Strategic Funding Increase (STRATFI) award, securing up to $85 million in investment funding. This award will go towards the rapid development of a full-scale pre-production prototype of Electra’s electric short takeoff and landing (eSTOL) aircraft. The eSTOL aircraft represents a new class of aircraft, characterized by helicopter-like operational flexibility and better performance and operating costs than comparable fixed-wing aircraft.

Graphic: Electra
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DARPA has enlisted two teams, General Atomics with Maritime Applied Physics Corporation and Aurora Flight Sciences with Gibbs & Cox and ReconCraft, to develop designs for the Liberty Lifter Seaplane Wing-in-Ground Effect program.

Graphic: DARPA
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The recent successful final flight test of the joint DARPA and U.S. Air Force’s Hypersonic Airbreathing Weapon Concept (HAWC) program marks another milestone in the development of hypersonic technology. With the Lockheed Martin missile, powered by the Aerojet Rocketdyne scramjet, exceeding speeds of Mach 5 and flying higher than 60,000 feet, and farther than 300 nautical miles, the program has achieved its initial objectives and provided critical data to the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL).

Graphic: DARPA
Continue reading “Final flight of HAWC program”