Aviation News
The dream of equipping the AC-130J Ghostrider gunship with a high-energy laser weapon system has come to an end. The U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) has officially shelved its Airborne High Energy Laser (AHEL) program due to “technical challenges” encountered during integration and ground testing.
U.S. Air Force, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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The colossal aircraft carrier, once an emblem of unchallenged maritime power, now faces an uncertain future. Vulnerable to sophisticated missile systems and burdened by exorbitant operational costs, its long-term viability sparks debate. A novel proposal by LCDR Jeff Zeberlein emerges, aiming to reshape the naval landscape: transforming every vessel, from the mighty destroyer down to the utilitarian fleet tanker, into a mini-carrier equipped with a squadron of AI-powered drones.
U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Megan Alexander, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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Sikorsky, a leading rotorcraft manufacturer under Lockheed Martin, has announced a bold venture into the future of vertical flight with its plans to develop a family of next-generation Vertical Take-Off and Landing (VTOL) systems. This initiative aims to push the boundaries of existing technology and explore diverse configurations – ranging from more traditional helicopters to winged configurations – to address the evolving needs of the aerial mobility landscape.
Graphic: Lockheed Martin
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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI) successfully demonstrated the in-flight release of its Advanced Air-Launched Effects (A2LE) platform from an MQ-20 Avenger Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) on Nov. 28, 2023. This milestone marks a significant achievement in developing low-cost, modular small unmanned aircraft systems (SUAS) for military applications.
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A groundbreaking test in the harsh Arctic Circle has successfully demonstrated the potential of a revolutionary new software called POTION to significantly increase the efficiency and range of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This achievement, the fruit of a nine-year collaboration between the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) and the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), marks a major milestone in advancing UAV technology for military and commercial applications.
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