Spacecom to reach full operational capability by end of year, commander says

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IndustrySpace Force
The U.S. military's newest combatant command reached initial operational capability in August 2021 and has been working towards FOC. COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — U.S. Space Command is on track to reach full operational capability before the end of 2023, its commander announced Tuesday. Having been reestablished in August 2019, Spacecom is the Defense Department’s newest combatant command and is... Read more about Spacecom to reach full operational capability by end of year, commander says
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US Air Force, Navy conduct ICBM test aboard nuclear command aircraft

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IndustrySpace Force
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force and Navy on Wednesday morning conducted a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile in California using an airborne control center. The weapon, which contained a test reentry vehicle, was controlled from an Airborne Launch Control System in a Navy E-6B Mercury aircraft, the Air Force said in a statement. Airmen from the 625th... Read more about US Air Force, Navy conduct ICBM test aboard nuclear command aircraft
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AFRL re-ups affiliation with longtime liquid crystal industry partner to meet DOD needs

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Industry
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, OHIO (AFRL) – Longtime Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, industry partner AlphaMicron Inc., is utilizing a 2021 Ohio Federal Research Network, or OFRN, funding award to expand the capability of its patented guest host liquid crystal technology, called e-Tint, to electronically dimmable protective eyewear for the Department of the Air Force, or DAF, Department... Read more about AFRL re-ups affiliation with longtime liquid crystal industry partner to meet DOD needs
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SDA seeks bids for next tranche of satellites to provide global communications

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Industry
The Space Development Agency is seeking industry bids for the Beta variant of its Tranche 2 transport layer consisting of 72 satellites and related ground support systems. he Space Development Agency has released the official solicitation for the foundation of the next batch of low-Earth orbit satellites that aims to give warfighters better access to communications capabilities around the world... Read more about SDA seeks bids for next tranche of satellites to provide global communications
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Six F-16s Getting Autonomous Computer Brains For Combat Drone Trials

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Broad agency announcementIndustryLogistics
To lay the groundwork for the U.S. Air Force’s Combat Collaborative Aircraft (CCA) program, which will explore tactical human-machine teaming concepts, the service will be giving select F-16 Viper fighter jets the ability to fly themselves. Dubbed Project Viper Experimentation and Next-Gen Operations Mode (VENOM), the initiative will outfit six F-16s from Eglin Air Force Base in Florida with... Read more about Six F-16s Getting Autonomous Computer Brains For Combat Drone Trials
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Air Force seeks industry input for next-gen ICBM reentry vehicle

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Broad agency announcementIndustryTransportation
WASHINGTON — The Air Force is kicking off the solicitation process for a Next Generation Reentry Vehicle (NGRV) that will be mounted on the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, according to a request for information posted by the service Wednesday. Most details about the RFI are classified, though the notice and Air Force budget documents [PDF] broadly establish goals of increased... Read more about Air Force seeks industry input for next-gen ICBM reentry vehicle
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US Space Force’s responsive space strategy taking shape

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Broad agency announcementIndustryLogistics
WASHINGTON — U.S. Space Force officials said they are refining their understanding of what it means to quickly react to threats that impact operational satellites as the service prepares for its second Tactically Responsive Space mission this summer, dubbed Victus Nox. The service last September issued contracts for Victus Nox to Boeing subsidiary Millennium Space Systems to build a satellite and... Read more about US Space Force’s responsive space strategy taking shape
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GAO Tells Congress: Pentagon Still Needs a Portfolio Plan for Tactical Aviation

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IndustryLogistics
With a flood of new aircraft programs taking shape, the Pentagon still doesn’t have a portfolio plan that rationalizes its all-service tactical aviation activities, the Government Accountability Office told the House Armed Services Committee this week. Creating such a plan would help the Defense Department and Congress alike size up the true priorities in TacAir and put funds against the most... Read more about GAO Tells Congress: Pentagon Still Needs a Portfolio Plan for Tactical Aviation
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AFRL conducts first flight experiments for communications in terahertz band

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Industry
ROME, N.Y. (AFRL) — Air Force Research Laboratory, or AFRL, researchers successfully conducted flight experiments Dec. 2- 6, 2022, in Rome, New York to prove the viability of communications at radio frequencies above 300 gigahertz, or GHz, known in research communities as terahertz, or THz, band. Over three days of flight experiments, researchers from AFRL’s Information Directorate, in... Read more about AFRL conducts first flight experiments for communications in terahertz band
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Space Development Agency Successfully Launches Tranche 0 Satellites

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IndustryLogisticsSpace Force
The Space Development Agency (SDA) today announced the successful initial launch of Tranche 0 (T0) of the Proliferated Warfighter Space Architecture (PWSA), the Transport and Tracking Layer satellites that will demonstrate the low-latency communication links to support the warfighter with a resilient network of integrated capabilities, including tracking of advanced missile threats, from low-Earth... Read more about Space Development Agency Successfully Launches Tranche 0 Satellites
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