Free Republic

Demonstration satellites built by Northrop Grumman and Raytheon successfully tracked a ground-based missile launch in a systems test last month. Tracking data generated by satellite sensors was transmitted to the Missile Defense Integration and Operation Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., which serves as the ground station for the two demonstration spacecraft, Northrop Grumman said in a news release "The STSS satellites operated as expected and the system generated high-quality track data during the boost phase in this first missile test of capabilities," said Gabe Watson, vice president, missile defense and missile warning programs for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems.

The Air Force is celebrating the arrival in Hawaii of the world's most advanced fighter jet. Airmen draped two F-22 planes with giant maile lei after the jets landed at Hickam Field during a dedication ceremony Friday. A priest blessed the jets by scattering holy water on them with ti leaves. The planes are the first of 20 F-22 jets the Air Force plans to base at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam on Oahu. They will be assigned to the Hawaii Air National Guard's 154th Wing. Crews from both the Guard and the active duty Air Force's 15th Wing will jointly...

The US Government has awarded Lockheed Martin a $522 million (€414 million) contract to produce 42 low-rate initial production (LRIP) Lot V F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. The contract provides for 22 conventional take off and landing (CTOL) F-35As for the US Air Force, 13 short take off and vertical landing (STOVL) F-35Bs for the US Marine Corps and seven carrier variant (CV) F-35Cs for the US Navy. Work will be co-ordinated at Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth plant in Texas with BAE Systems’ facility at Warton in the UK providing 20% of the workshare. Work is expected to be completed...

The U.S. Air Force is considering deploying an up-to-date airborne communications network system in South Korea in an effort to boost its intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities against North Korean threats, the top American airman here said Friday. In a speech at a security conference in Seoul, Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Remington, commander of the 7th Air Force, said his command is exploring the deployment of the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) in the Korean theater, as the network system's effectiveness has been proven in Afghanistan. BACN is an airborne communications relay and gateway that enables real-time information flow between different...