May 6, 1996

May 6, 1996

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HEADLINE NEWS

SECRET FLIGHTS IN 1980s TESTED STEALTH RECON

By DAVID A. FULGHUM

HEADLINE NEWS

TESTBED FOR STEALTH

By MICHAEL A. DORNHEIM

HEADLINE NEWS

USAF, NASA PROGRAMS TO PUSH HYPERSONIC BOUNDARIES

By WILLIAM B. SCOTT

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HEADLINE NEWS

SECRET FLIGHTS IN 1980s TESTED STEALTH RECON

During the early quest for stealth, Northrop first flew a low-observable aircraft with a smooth curved exterior

By DAVID A. FULGHUM

2021
HEADLINE NEWS

TESTBED FOR STEALTH

LOS ANGELES The Northrop Tacit Blue's unusual shape is the outgrowth of requirements to carry a large side-looking radar antenna, to have a low radar cross section in the side aspect, and to test a curvilinear, rather than faceted, approach to low RCS.

By MICHAEL A. DORNHEIM

2223
HEADLINE NEWS

USAF, NASA PROGRAMS TO PUSH HYPERSONIC BOUNDARIES

COLORADO SPRINGS Two highly-focused NASA and U.S. Air Force research programs just getting underway will develop propulsion systems and airframes that could evolve into hypersonic standoff missiles and strike aircraft after the turn of the century, according to program officials.

By WILLIAM B. SCOTT

2223
HEADLINE NEWS

ISRAEL'S MISSILE DEFENSES RATE U.S. HIGH-TECH BOOST

WASHINGTON The U.S. has agreed to a plan for shoring up Israel's theater defenses by improving early warning of missile launches in the region and accelerating the development of weapons to shoot down ballistic and cruise missiles and short range artillery rockets.

By DAVID A. FULGHUM,BRUCE D. NORDWALL

2425
HEADLINE NEWS

NMD BATTLE HEATS UP

WASHINGTON The U.S. House National Security and Senate Armed Services panels have approved identical Republican bills mandating deployment of a national missile defense (NMD) system by 2003, but the chances for enactment into law this year appear slim.

By JOSEPH C. ANSELMO

2425
HEADLINE NEWS

BOSNIAN SKY SPY SNOOPS FOR CRIME

WASHINGTON A new intelligence data link is transmitting live video from unmanned aerial vehicles flying over Bosnia—which has included some evidence of arms movements and grave tampering—into the Pentagon with only about a 1-sec. delay.

By DAVID A. FULGHUM

2627
HEADLINE NEWS

ARGUS TO FLIGHT TEST CHEMICAL DETECTORS

COLORADO SPRINGS The Air Force's KC-135E Argus electrooptical testbed is being outfitted for flight tests this fall of two lidar systems designed to detect chemical warfare agents at ranges up to 100 km. Argus also has supported missile defense projects—most recently the Airborne Laser—for years, but has been out of service for the last seven months, undergoing a major overhaul and installation of new equipment (AW&ST Oct. 3, 1988, p. 34).

By WILLIAM B. SCOTT

2829
HEADLINE NEWS

U.K. STRESSES RAPID MOBILITY

LONDON The U.K. will pull its remaining Royal Air Force squadrons out of Germany by 2002 as it moves ahead with plans, backed by pledges of increased spending on military procurement, for a more mobile force capable of rapid deployments. In its annual report to Parliament on defense estimates, the Ministry of Defense said it plans to close RAF Bruggen and transfer the four Tornado GR 1 squadrons now stationed there back to bases in the U.K. Another base, RAF Laarbruch which has two squadrons of Harrier GR7s, has already been tipped for closure in 1999.

By JOHN D. MORROCCO

3031
HEADLINE NEWS

U.K. HELICOPTER SCHOOL NARROWS CHOICES

LONDON The contenders for the U.K.'s Defense Helicopter Flying School contract, which has been delayed by more than a month, have narrowed the choices to Bell and Eurocopter airframes. Contractors submitted their revised bids late last week to the Ministry of Defense for the 1O-year contract worth $620 million to provide a turnkey training operation for all three military services.

By JOHN D. MORROCCO

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COVER STORY

SOHO IMAGES SEETHING SUN

By CRAIG COVAULT

April 291996 May 131996