June 10, 2026 - No. 232 In This Issue : Air Force Vice Chief: Demand for New Airplanes ‘Outstripping’ Production : Going supersonic! NASA's X-59 jet breaks sound barrier for the 1st time : GE, Rolls-Royce Get Contracts to Advance Autonomous Drone Engine Designs : L3Harris tests ramjet that could double U.S. Army missile range : Congress Throws A-10 Warthog Another Lifeline : How one designer’s fix earned Boeing South Carolina its 1,000th patent : New 100kW superconducting motor paves way for future electric propulsion aircraft : GE Aerospace completes ground test of megawatt-class hybrid electric engine system : Air Force Seeks New Gearboxes for CV-22 in ’27 Budget : KC-46’s New Remote Vision System Completes Initial ‘Non-Contact’ Testing : Graduate Research Request Air Force Vice Chief: Demand for New Airplanes ‘Outstripping’ Production June 4, 2026 By Greg Hadley The Air Force is seeking to buy around 108 The issue isn’t just more money, according to the service’s No. 2 officer; contractors just aren’t able to produce enough aircraft at the present moment, Gen. John Lamontagne said June 4 at AFA’s Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. “It’s [about] how quickly can industry respond to our demand signal? And right now, I’d say our demand signal is outstripping their ability to produce quality airplanes on schedule, on time,” Lamontagne said. “It takes them a while to facilitize, to be able to either stand up another line or to produce more airplanes over time.” The 2027 budget request includes: • 38 F-35As • 24 F-15EX Eagle II fighters • 23 T-7A Red Hawk trainer aircraft • 15 KC-46 Pegasus refueling tankers • An undisclosed number of B-21 Raider bombers The number of fighters and F-35As in particular surprised some observers when the budget rolled out this spring. Despite the overall defense budget soaring to $1.5 trillion and the Air Force budget increasing some 25 percent, the service’s 62 new fighters fell short of its longstanding goal of 72 new fighters per year to hold down the fighter fleet’s age and keep capacity steady. Lamontagne indicated that the Air Force would have allocated more of its budget increase to buying aircraft if it could. “Candidly, we probably had some more opportunities to buy, but industry can’t quite respond that quickly to what we’d like to do,” Lamontagne said. In the short term, the vice chief said, the service is trying to address the issue by retaining more of its older aircraft it previously planned to retire, such as the A-10 close air support aircraft and the KC-135 tanker. The increase in the Air Force topline makes it easier to do so, he noted. Beyond that, the goal is to increase industry’s production rates. Pentagon and Air Force leaders are doing that, Lamontagne said, by giving vendors a stronger “demand signal” so they feel more confident investing in their production lines. Right now, he added, they are put off by what he called “sawtooth” funding that fluctuates every year. “The more predictable and stable that funding is over time, it will enable that facilitization and the incentives to build more airplanes over time,” he said. “So, we’d love to buy more.” One way to keep funding predictable is through multiyear contracts. Congress is currently considering legislation that would let the Air Force enter into multiyear procurement deals for the F-35 and F-15EX, and the Air Force is trying to whip up support for that, Lamontagne said. “I think that serves our interest very, very well going forward,” he said. NGAS Lamontagne, a KC-135 and C-17 pilot by trade, came to the Vice Chief job after a stint at Air Mobility Command. In that role, he oversaw an analysis of alternatives for the Next-Generation Aerial Refueling System. For years, the Air Force has envisioned a future tanker to replace the last of the Eisenhower-era KC-135s, capable of flying deeper into contested airspace to refuel stealthy fighters like the F-35 and the future F-47. In the 2027 budget request, however, the service essentially shelved NGAS in favor of a new Advanced Tanker Systems program. Faced with a massive modernization portfolio projecting years out that includes new bombers, fighters, drones, trainers, intercontinental ballistic missiles, and more, Air Force officials decided to focus less on a new airplane and more on upgrading existing refuelers with systems that will help them survive in hostile airspace, Lamontagne said. Yet the idea of a future NGAS tanker may not be so much dead as deferred as the service focuses on buying and accepting more KC-46s. “We certainly need to procure another airplane,” Lamontagne said. “As we go towards 188 KC-46s, and then another 75, we’ll need to make a decision after that on how we want to continue to [recapitalize] the KC-135. There will still be probably north of 200 KC-135s that need to be recapped, and so we’ll need to make a decision on exactly how we’re going to do that going forward.” Going supersonic! NASA's X-59 jet breaks sound barrier for the 1st time By Mike Wall June 5, 2026 Note: See photos and videos in the original article. "The X-59’s first supersonic flight is a testament to America's enduring leadership in science, engineering and aerospace innovation." NASA’s X-59 quiet supersonic research aircraft exceeded the speed of sound for the first time on June 5, 2026. (Image credit: NASA/Lori Losey) Newsletter NASA's X-59 jet has finally gone supersonic. The X-59, a long-nosed demonstrator designed to help develop the tech required for "quiet" supersonic flight, notched the milestone on Friday (June 5), more than six months after getting off the ground for the first time. "The X-59’s first supersonic flight is a testament to America's enduring leadership in science, engineering and aerospace innovation," Michael Kratsios, assistant to the president for science and technology and director of the U.S. Office of Science and Technology Policy, said in a statement on Friday. NASA’s X-59 eXternal Vision System shows Mach 1.077 on June 5, 2026, marking the aircraft’s first time reaching supersonic speed in support of NASA’s Quesst mission. (Image credit: NASA) Friday's flight began and ended at Edwards Air Force Base in California. The X-59, with NASA test pilot Jim "Clue" Less at the yoke, took off at 2:08 p.m. EDT (1808 GMT; 11:08 a.m. local California time) and touched down 81 minutes later. Less took the jet to a maximum altitude of 43,400 feet (13,228 meters) and a top speed of 713 mph (1,147 kph). That works out to about Mach 1.1, or 1.1 times faster than the speed of sound, NASA officials said in the statement. (The speed of sound varies with temperature, as sound waves move faster in warmer air. At sea level, where the air is relatively warm, Mach 1 is about 761 mph, or 1,225 kph.) • You may like • NASA's X-59 jet is ready to break the sound barrier for the 1st time this month • • 2nd-ever test flight of NASA's 'quiet' X-59 supersonic jet cut short by glitch • • X-59 gets ready for 2nd test flight | Space photo of the day for March 18, 2026 X-59 team members won't rest on their laurels, however. In just a few days, they plan to send the plane on its first "mission conditions" flight — one that reaches a top speed of Mach 1.4 and an altitude of about 55,000 feet (16,764 m). "This speed and altitude are the base conditions for the X-59 when it will eventually fly over several U.S. communities, enabling NASA to gather data about how people may perceive its quiet thump," NASA officials wrote in the same statement. our newsletter Follow us on Google "NASA will share this data with U.S. and international regulators to help establish new data-driven noise standards to enable a future viable market for supersonic commercial flight over land," they added. That market dried up in 1973, when the Federal Aviation Administration banned such flights to protect people and property from loud sonic booms. The X-59, the centerpiece of NASA's Quesst ("Quiet Supersonic Technology") program, is designed to generate mild thumps rather than clapping booms. If all goes to plan, the work it's doing now could help bring widespread supersonic flight back to the U.S. The X-59, which was built by Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, has been quite active in the past few months, building up more and more flight hours. "Since the aircraft’s first flight on Oct. 28, 2025, the team has made tremendous progress, flying 16 times in the last 90 days and getting into a steady test rhythm," NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman said in the same statement. "I'm grateful to the NASA team and Lockheed Martin Skunk Works for their help getting us to this point, and I hope this is the first of many collaborations as we rebuild NASA’s X-plane portfolio." GE, Rolls-Royce Get Contracts to Advance Autonomous Drone Engine Designs June 3, 2026 | By Stephen Losey The Air Force has awarded contracts to General Electric Aerospace and Rolls-Royce to further hone their designs for engines to power medium-thrust autonomous drones. GE announced in a May 19 release that it received a contract to complete a preliminary design review for its GE426 engine, supporting the Air Force’s medium thrust class Autonomous Collaborative Platform, or ACP, project. An Air Force spokesperson also confirmed in a statement to Air & Space Forces Magazine that Rolls-Royce Liberty Works—the company’s Indianapolis-based advanced research and development arm that focuses on military and government projects—had received a contract as part of the same solicitation. The Air Force said GE received a firm-fixed-price award that leveraged an Other Transaction Authority through the service’s Propulsion Consortium Initiative 2.0, and that Rolls-Royce’s contract was awarded under the same solicitation. The contracts and Rolls-Royce’s selection were first reported by Breaking Defense. ACP drones are autonomous drones that would operate alongside more expensive, piloted aircraft, the Air Force spokesperson said. ACPs “will be designed with modular open systems architecture, digital engineering, rapid software development, and new manufacturing techniques that will offer the potential for a new genus of smart, risk-tolerant, teamed aircraft that can increase capacity in a highly contested environment,” the Air Force spokesperson said. The Air Force spokesperson said Collaborative Combat Aircraft, such as the General Atomics YFQ-42A and Anduril YFQ-44A, are types of ACPs. The Air Force is now concentrating on the ACP effort, the spokesperson said, but other platforms could also use Rolls-Royce or GE’s engines. Candice Binyard, Rolls-Royce’s director of business development and future programs for defense, said in a statement to Air & Space Forces Magazine that the company’s AE engines could be chosen for the ACP drones. “Autonomous aircraft represent a fundamental shift in how the U.S. Air Force will project combat airpower,” Binyard said. “By leveraging our advanced AE engine family, we can move quickly to deliver the performance, electrical power and reliability our warfighters need for operational advantage in contested environments.” The Navy’s MQ-25 Stingray refueling drone uses Rolls-Royce’s AE 3007, the company said, and the RQ-4 Global Hawk and MQ-4C Triton use the military variant of that engine, the F137. GE Aerospace said its GE426 engine is a new propulsion system that was built specifically for medium-thrust ACPs. The company said in a May 19 release it successfully finished the engine’s concept design review in August 2025, which confirmed its architecture would work and moving the design forward. GE Aerospace now plans to keep maturing the GE426 prototype through a preliminary design review and further refine its capability, producibility and cost. “We’ve proven we can rapidly move from concept to engine demonstration with the GEK800, and our focus now is on applying that process to the GE426 to ensure it provides the performance, affordability and readiness the warfighter needs,” Steve “Doogie” Russell, the vice president and general manager of GE Aerospace’s Edison Works, said in the company’s own statement.\ L3Harris tests ramjet that could double U.S. Army missile range PRESS RELEASES By Emily Ryan Miller Jun 4, 2026 Courtesy photo Key Points • L3Harris successfully tested a solid rocket motor-to-ramjet propulsion transition for the U.S. Army's PrSM Increment 4 program at Orange County, Virginia, on June 3, 2026. • The propulsion system is designed to launch from existing HIMARS and M270 launchers, with Lockheed Martin and Army Aviation and Missile Center representatives witnessing the test. L3Harris Technologies has successfully tested a propulsion system designed to push U.S. Army missiles well beyond the ranges that current weapons can reach, clearing a key technical hurdle in one of the Army’s most closely watched long-range strike programs. The test, conducted at L3Harris’s facility in Orange County, Virginia, with representatives from Lockheed Martin and the Army’s Aviation and Missile Center present, validated the transition from a solid rocket motor boost phase to a ramjet sustainer engine — the precise moment in flight where the propulsion system either works or doesn’t. That transition, called a Direct Connect Transition Test, is among the most demanding checkpoints in developing a combined solid rocket motor and ramjet propulsion system, because the two technologies operate on fundamentally different principles and must hand off thrust cleanly at high speed and altitude without a gap in propulsion or a loss of control. L3Harris announced the successful result on June 3, 2026. The program this test supports is the Army’s Precision Strike Missile Increment 4, known as PrSM Inc 4, the most ambitious stretch of a weapon system the Army has been developing since the late 2010s. The baseline PrSM, designed to replace the legacy Army Tactical Missile System that was retired in 2003, has been in development by Lockheed Martin as the prime contractor and already completed its first production deliveries. Earlier increments of PrSM progressively extended range beyond the approximately 70 km (43 miles) maximum of its predecessor, with the program targeting ranges beyond 500 km (310 miles) in later variants. Increment 4 is aimed at the furthest reach of that roadmap, requiring a propulsion solution that conventional solid rocket motors cannot provide on their own. A ramjet, which sustains flight by drawing in air and burning fuel continuously rather than carrying all its oxidizer internally like a rocket, can maintain propulsion across much longer distances and at higher sustained speeds, making it the enabling technology for the extended-range ambitions PrSM Inc 4 represents. PrSM long-range precision-strike missile. (Photo by Darrell Ames) What makes the L3Harris test result operationally significant is not just that the propulsion worked, but that it is designed to work inside existing Army launchers. HIMARS, the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, is a wheeled vehicle that fires GPS-guided rockets and missiles from a pod of six MLRS rockets or two ATACMS missiles, and has become one of the most strategically visible Western weapons systems of the past four years following its extensive use in Ukraine. The M270 Multiple Launch Rocket System is its tracked, higher-capacity predecessor, still operated by the U.S. Army and multiple allied nations. Both platforms are already deployed, already maintained, and already integrated into Army fire support networks. A missile that can load directly onto those launchers — without requiring new vehicles, new logistics chains, or new training pipelines — can reach warfighters far faster than a system requiring new ground equipment. That is the argument Lockheed Martin’s vice president for advanced programs made explicitly in connection with the test. “The Direct Connect Transition Test shows the missile’s core propulsion is not a future concept but a validated capability that can be loaded onto current HIMARS and M270 launchers quickly, dramatically shortening the time to warfighter delivery,” said Randy Crites, Vice President of Advanced Programs at Lockheed Martin. L3Harris conducted the test at its Orange County, Virginia campus, a facility spanning more than 2,000 acres (809 hectares) with 256,000 square feet (23,784 square meters) of manufacturing space that includes a static test facility, an aerothermal propulsion laboratory, and an altitude test site. The presence of Army Aviation and Missile Center representatives at the test is standard procedure for milestone events of this kind, but it also signals that the Army is actively monitoring progress and treating the L3Harris propulsion solution as a viable candidate for the program. L3Harris says it has invested significant internal funding over the past two years to mature the propulsion technology ahead of formal program milestones, a strategy sometimes called self-funded development, where a company advances technology at its own expense to reduce risk and compress timelines once government contracts are in place. That approach is increasingly common among defense companies competing for programs where the government is selecting between multiple propulsion solutions and the winner will be determined partly by demonstrated maturity. “Rapidly advancing our next-generation propulsion system through ground test and into flight test demonstrates our unique ability to deliver on the Army’s mission requirements and near-term fielding plans,” said Scott Alexander, President of Missile Propulsion at L3Harris Missile Solutions. “Our propulsion system strikes a balance between capability and affordability by meeting the Army’s requirements for speed, range and lethality.” Congress Throws A-10 Warthog Another Lifeline Requiring the USAF to satisfy all the demands stated in the legislation could see the jet's life extended well past 2030. Thomas Newdick Published Jun 5, 2026 2:05 PM EDT Note: See photos in the original article. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Rachel Howell The TWZ Newsletter Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy. Terms of Service and Privacy Policy The Air Force will seek new ways to accomplish the missions of the A-10C attack jet, under an amendment added to the House Armed Services Committee’s version of the National Defense Authorization bill. While the Air Force has long campaigned for the Warthog’s retirement, the recent demand for the jet in conflicts in the Middle East has seen it earn a reprieve, with its standdown now scheduled for 2030. Some of the numerous amendments to the bill come from Abe Hamadeh, the Republican representative for Arizona. He calls for the Secretary of the Air Force to keep supporting A-10 training, testing, experimentation, maintenance, and sustainment efforts through to the planned retirement date, as well as preserving lessons learned and operational expertise from A-10 missions to help shape future replacement systems. This would include keeping a formal training unit to teach pilots until the retirement. This is especially notable, since the unit in question, the 357th Fighter Squadron, graduated the last class of A-10 student pilots at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona, back in April. Four A-10Cs from the 357th Fighter Squadron deploy flares over a training range near Gila Bend, Arizona, May 1, 2026. U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Samantha Melecio Meanwhile, the Air Force officially concluded A-10 depot-level maintenance in February of this year, with the deactivation of the 571st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and the A-10 Weapons School is due to be shuttered this year. An A-10C is positioned near the hangar during the “Hawg Out” ceremony, February 12, 2026, at Hill Air Force Base, Utah. The aircraft was the final A-10 to be maintained by the Ogden Air Logistics Complex’s 571st Aircraft Maintenance Squadron, which performed depot-level maintenance on the aircraft since 1998. U.S. Air Force photo by Cynthia Griggs In terms of “preserving operational expertise,” Hamadeh points directly to the A-10’s recent combat record in the Middle East, including its role in providing close air support during the recovery of two downed F-15E aircrew from Iran during Operation Epic Fury, and its work securing the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime chokepoint. As part of this, the amendment also requests a report on the A-10’s “combat employment, recent operational relevance, lessons for future force design, and modernization options that could improve the return on continued sustainment of the program.” Hamadeh lists a range of recent modernization efforts for the jet that “could improve the operational return on continued sustainment of the A-10 program.” These include electronic warfare capabilities, decoy or stand-in effects delivery, digital communications, sensor integration, precision weapons integration, survivability improvements, open-systems architecture, and human-machine teaming applications. The amendment also refers to the A-10’s recent “aerial refueling enhancements,” referring to the rapid introduction of a nose-mounted aerial refueling probe, which you can read more about here. An A-10C uses its newly added probe to refuel from an HC-130J Combat King II aircraft in the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility, May 9, 2026. U.S. Air Force photo At the same time, while preparing to retire the Warthog, the amendment calls for “a competitive experimentation plan for autonomous and non-traditional capabilities relevant to the A-10 mission set” — something that is far from new. According to the wording of the amended bill, this should “encourage autonomous replacement and modernization of the A-10, while also prioritizing participation of non-traditional defense firms.” The amendment specifies that “autonomous, semi-autonomous, artificial intelligence-enabled, and adjunct aircraft capabilities” should all be investigated for carrying out future A-10-type mission sets. The plan should include ways to ensure operational experiments are done “in a manner consistent with meaningful human command and control, by a qualified military aviator,” the amendment added. That should include mission-critical functions such as target engagement, weapons release, and decisions to abort a mission. To help with the development of emerging technologies that could replace, or partly replace, the A-10, the amendment also proposes that a limited number of the jets should be used to support these studies. Two 74th Fighter Squadron A-10Cs above Wake Island, in October 2022. These aircraft transited from Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, to Andersen AFB, Guam, to participate in a Dynamic Force Employment Operation. U.S. Air Force courtesy photo by Tech. Sgt. Eileen Adams As part of accelerating this initiative, the study could involve nontraditional or venture-backed defense companies, commercial technology firms, or other companies that could rapidly develop the required hardware, software, autonomy, sensing, communication, or mission system capabilities. This amendment raises the possibility that new technologies may ultimately provide an effective replacement for many A-10 mission sets, rather than a direct one-for-one crewed aircraft successor. Drone-wise, the current lack of a follow-on to the MQ-9 Reaper, envisaged under a program dubbed MQ-Next, is a problem. The Air Force is now trying to replace the MQ-9 again, as you can read about here, but it remains unclear if the drone that emerges could stand in for a significant part of the A-10 mission. At the same time, the lack of a true uncrewed air combat vehicle (UCAV) program, one that would have emerged out of MQ-Next or otherwise, is also a hindrance in terms of a more survivable drone-based A-10 successor. While not mentioned specifically, other options could include Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), AI-enabled uncrewed systems that can deliver weapons, conduct reconnaissance, perform electronic warfare, identify and track targets, and operate either independently or with crewed platforms. However, while CCAs could be part of the solution, the A-10 mission has traditionally been seen as better suited to UCAVs. Advances in autonomy also promise future networks of expendable or attritable drones that can maintain persistent surveillance over the battlefield, rapidly share targeting information, and deliver precision effects while reducing risk to pilots. In such a model, the traditional A-10 mission would not be replaced by one aircraft but by a distributed system of sensors, shooters, and autonomous collaborators. Of course, this is of particular relevance in the kinds of contested environments where a low-flying attack aircraft would be increasingly vulnerable. A U.S. Air Force XQ-58 Valkyrie drops an ALTIUS-600 drone from its internal bay during a test. U.S. Air Force Once the A-10s are retired, the amendment directs the Secretary of Defense to evaluate the potential transfer of the jets “to another military department” — presumably, within the U.S. military. While this is a topic that has sometimes come up among the enthusiast community, there is no realistic possibility of either the Marine Corps or the Army getting hand-me-down Warthogs. In the case of the Army, this service has long agreed not to operate fixed-wing crewed combat aircraft. For their part, the Marines have no capacity or funding to take on a whole different tactical platform, especially while winding down the F/A-18 Hornet fleet to standardize the F-35B/C as its tactical fixed-wing jet. The idea of considering transferring retired A-10s to an ally or partner’s military has come up in the past, however, having been included in the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). As well as Jordan, which was named in the 2024 NDAA, Colombia and Ukraine are also known to have expressed interest in acquiring A-10s in the past. More immediately, the amendment authorizes the reconstitution of an A-10 demonstration team. This would support “public outreach, recruiting, heritage, airshows, military ceremonies, and commemorative events, including those tied to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States.” For more than four decades, the A-10C Demonstration Team performed dramatic displays around the world, but it ceased operations at the end of the 2024 season. At the time, the 355th Wing at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base said the decision was a part of the Air Force’s divestment of the Warthog. An A-10C, part of the Demonstration Team from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. The A-10 was refueling on its way back to Arizona after the last official demo event, November 17, 2024, at the Pittsburgh Steelers game. U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech. Sgt. Andrew Stover Of course, it should be noted that all of these amendments don’t necessarily preclude the Air Force giving up the A-10. Provided the service can prove that it can retain the knowledge base, as well as plug any capability gaps, the path to letting the Warthog go would remain open. As we have highlighted many times in the past, the A-10’s combination of capabilities remains difficult to replicate in a single aircraft. It was designed from the ground up for close air support, with significant battle damage tolerance, making it ideal for operating close to friendly forces, providing persistent, highly responsive fire support. However, with the requirements of modern warfare shifting toward survivability in heavily defended airspace, the F-35A, as the A-10’s designated replacement, offers capabilities the older jet cannot match, including stealth, advanced sensor fusion, networked targeting, and the ability to strike from greater standoff distances. While the effort to replace the A-10 with the F-35 has been a controversial one, regardless of their respective merits, it’s clear that the Air Force needs combat mass, providing more ammunition for the Warthog’s proponents. An F-35A streaks by as a 75th Fighter Squadron A-10C undergoes preflight checks before a Combat Hammer sortie at Eglin AFB, Florida. Combat Hammer is a weapons system evaluation program for air-to-ground munitions. U.S. Air Force photo/Samuel King Jr. In the meantime, the Air Force has also moved away from the idea of having the F-35 as a direct successor to the A-10, reflected in the fact that one former Warthog unit, at Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Michigan, has been chosen to receive a squadron of F-15EX Eagle IIs. The balance of capabilities offered by the F-15EX means that it is now being eyed for other units, too, in line with an increased fleet size. As for the current timeline for the A-10’s withdrawal, Craig McKee, of Phoenix, Arizona-based news channel ABC15, received an outline of the plan from Air Combat Command. For Fiscal Year 2026, which runs through September 30, 2026, the 357th Fighter Squadron at Davis-Monthan inactivates, and the formal training pipeline ends. Meanwhile, at Nellis Air Force Base, Nevada, the A-10 Weapons School transitions to other types, and the 422nd Test and Evaluation Squadron stands down. For Fiscal Years 2027 and 2028, Moody Air Force Base, Georgia, is scheduled to retain two active-duty A-10 squadrons, while Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, will keep one Air Force Reserve squadron. At this point, the total A-10 inventory is set to be 63 aircraft, with 42 in the active-duty inventory. In Fiscal Year 2029, Moody Air Force Base is set to lose one squadron, while the total A-10 inventory drops to 42 aircraft. A-10Cs from the 74th Fighter Squadron out of Moody Air Force Base, over the skies of southern Georgia, in 2014. The 74th FS is one of two active-duty, combat-ready squadrons at Moody. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jamal D. Sutter/Released Finally, Fiscal Year 2030 is planned to see the full divestment of the A-10 fleet. All of this is in line with Air Force demands for the A-10’s career to come to a close by the end of the decade, the culmination of a long push to retire the jets, primarily due to concerns over the aircraft’s survivability. At the same time, the special capabilities of the Warthog are clearly still in high demand, including in the Middle East. Previously, it seemed like the lawmakers’ efforts to retain the A-10 might have come to an end, especially when it lost two of its most vocal supporters. Namely, after the death of Arizona’s Senator John McCain, followed by Republican Representative Martha McSally losing her bid for the Arizona Senate. Now, with the A-10’s performance in Epic Fury, as well as a brief extension to its service, it looks like a new fight to save the Warthog might be emerging. How one designer’s fix earned Boeing South Carolina its 1,000th patent From prototype to patent: Tool designer turns a shop-floor concern into workplace safety solution. May 28, 2026 in Innovation Tool designer Aaron Pedersen looks over an airtight coupler he invented to improve ventilation in confined spaces. (Joshua Drake photo) Tool designer Aaron Pedersen noticed a recurring safety concern with a ventilation tool used in confined spaces and developed a fix that became Boeing South Carolina’s 1,000th U.S. patent. An inspired invention: Pedersen prototyped a unique airtight coupler that would prevent ventilation hose air supply from failing. He tested and refined his concept using computer-aided models, rapid prototyping and 3D printing, evolving the design until it met ergonomic, pressure and durability needs. The coupler, which is now being used in the 787 Dreamliner program’s Final Assembly factory and is compatible with any supplied-air handler system, eliminates taped up workarounds, streamlines line moves and reduces clean up and rework. Most critically, it reduces the chance that the ventilation hose could fail. • “I want everyone, including the next generation and my children, to come home the same way they came in,” said Pedersen, whose two sons also work at Boeing South Carolina (BSC). “When it comes to innovation, I feel like an idea not shared could be a missed opportunity.” A culture of innovation: Since 2009, nearly 6,000 BSC teammates have submitted more than 3,100 unique invention disclosures, leading the enterprise on a per-capita basis. Additionally, more than 1,600 BSC teammates have secured U.S. patents for Boeing over that time, many of which were the result of multiple teammates working together. Pedersen credits the collaborative and supportive innovation culture at BSC for nurturing his design inspiration and expertise. He said support from his mentor Andrew Ponton and Boeing Technical Fellow Li Chang were key factors in turning his ideas into reality, reflecting the site’s commitment to empowering teammates to innovate and solve real-world challenges. • “This patent highlights how a shop floor issue, tackled with rapid iteration and practical design, can become a manufacturable, unique invention that spreads meaningful safety and productivity gains,” said Chang. “BSC’s culture of innovation empowers teammates to think creatively, collaborate, and protect their ideas.” New 100kW superconducting motor paves way for future electric propulsion aircraft This prototype could make lightweight, high-power electric propulsion a reality for future commercial aircraft. By Transportation Jun 03, 2026 07:42 AM EST Superconducting aviation motor. University of Strathclyde Glasgow Researchers at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow have developed and demonstrated a 100kW fully superconducting aviation motor. This prototype could make lightweight, high-power electric propulsion a reality for future commercial aircraft. The motor achieves a power density that conventional electric motors simply cannot match, thanks to specialized materials that exhibit zero electrical resistance when frozen. When cooled to an ultracold 20 Kelvin (K) (-253°C or -423F), the motor’s specialized materials lose virtually all electrical resistance. This means that a small engine can handle immense power loads without generating wasteful heat. Temperature challenge Commercial flight faces a strict weight trap that standard electric motors cannot escape. Standard jet engines deliver far more power for their weight than conventional electric motors can manage, largely because standard copper wiring becomes prohibitively heavy and dangerously overheats when pushed to its limits. Superconducting motors overcome this technological barrier, standing as the only known innovation capable of delivering the immense power-to-weight ratio required to lift a commercial passenger plane off the ground. “Superconducting technology offers a route to much lighter and more efficient propulsion systems, but it also brings major engineering challenges in cryogenic cooling, protection and system integration,” said Professor Min Zhang, who leads the ASL at Strathclyde. A superconducting axial-flux aviation motor is an electric motor that uses cryogenically cooled materials to eliminate electrical resistance. Though labeled “high temperature,” the motor’s superconducting tape still requires cryogenic cooling to between 20K and 77K. However, this is a massive engineering victory, as it operates at significantly higher temperatures than conventional superconductors, which require extreme liquid helium cooling at 4K. Prototype requirement To turn this physics quirk into a working prototype, the Strathclyde team had to solve the gap between fundamental superconductor research, cryogenic engineering, and mechanical system integration. The multidisciplinary team successfully condensed complex physics into a single working machine. The prototype was integrated with low-loss superconducting windings, a novel brushless starting mechanism, and internal cryogenic cooling that functions while spinning. This combined technology proved that a fully superconducting motor architecture can operate as a unified, real-world platform. This temperature shift changes everything for aerospace giant Airbus, which backed the project under its ZEST1 (Zero Emissions for Sustainable Transport) program. The zero-emission race Airbus is betting on liquid hydrogen to fuel its future zero-emission fleet. Liquid hydrogen must be stored on board at extremely low temperatures, allowing it to serve a dual purpose. It acts as the fuel for the plane while simultaneously serving as the coolant for the superconducting motor. “This demonstrator shows that fully superconducting aviation motors are no longer just a theoretical concept,” said Professor Zhang. Apart from Airbus, several other companies like Hinetics, the U.K.’s HyFlux, and giants like Toshiba and Raytheon are racing to build ultra-efficient, high-power-density motors using high-temperature superconductors The aviation industry accounts for roughly 2.5 percent of global CO2 emissions. While a 100kW motor is far too small to lift a commercial airliner, the Strathclyde team views this success as the definitive proof of concept. The underlying physics works. This leap in power density is exactly what future hydrogen-electric and fully electric aircraft need to finally get off the ground. The next step is scaling this architecture up to megawatt-class superconducting systems for larger commercial aircraft. GE Aerospace completes ground test of megawatt-class hybrid electric engine system June 2, 2026 Download image/jpeg (864 KB) Represents GE Aerospace’s first ground test of a fully integrated hybrid electric powertrain CINCINNATI – GE Aerospace (NYSE: GE) announced today it completed testing of a megawatt-class hybrid electric engine system developed through NASA’s Electrified Powertrain Flight Demonstration (EPFD) project, paving the way for flight tests. The ground test was the company’s first to validate the full integrated system, including GE Aerospace-developed motor/generators, power converters and inverters, controllers, Dowty* propellers, Avio Aero* gearboxes, and a CT7 engine. BAE Systems provided the batteries used and Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences supplied the complete nacelle. “Step by step, we’re proving hybrid electric engine technology for next-generation commercial aircraft,” said Arjan Hegeman, vice president for future of flight at GE Aerospace. “This latest ground test of a complete hybrid electric powertrain positions GE Aerospace to have the technologies ready to meet customer needs for greater durability, efficiency and range in future propulsion systems.” Throughout the test campaign at Peebles Test Operation in Ohio, teams simulated various flight phases such as taxi, takeoff, climb and cruise. The electric powertrain helped successfully power the propeller and generated power to the battery. Flightworthy components that meet higher safety and reliability requirements than typical test hardware were used as part of GE Aerospace’s efforts to mature a commercial-grade hybrid electric engine system. This milestone follows more than a decade of testing and maturing individual components and modules. “The ground test is a major turning point in our understanding of hybrid electric powertrains for aviation and a fundamental building block for the future,” Hegeman said. A hybrid electric engine system combines an electric powertrain with a traditional gas turbine to optimize power management during different phases of operation. Hybrid electric systems are highly compatible with different fuel types and advanced aircraft engine architectures like Open Fan. RISE program testing GE Aerospace has leveraged several NASA projects to mature technologies for more electric aircraft engines through the CFM International RISE** program. Unveiled in 2021, the RISE program is one of the aviation industry’s most comprehensive technology demonstrators with more than 350 tests and more than 3,000 endurance cycles completed to date, including tests on Open Fan, compact core, hybrid electric systems and other technologies. The RISE program prioritizes safety, durability and efficiency, targeting more than 20% better fuel burn compared to commercial engines in service today. CFM RISE program technologies are maturing toward ground and flight tests this decade with work underway on aircraft and engine integration in collaboration with partners. Hybrid electric experience GE Aerospace was first awarded the NASA EPFD contract in 2021 to demonstrate flight readiness of hybrid electric technologies for single-aisle aircraft. Several key milestones have been achieved over the last decade for hybrid electric technology development: • 2016: an electric motor-driven propeller ground test; • 2022: The world’s first test of a megawatt-class and multi-kilovolt hybrid electric propulsion system in altitude conditions up to 45,000 feet at the NASA Electric Aircraft Testbed facility that simulated single-aisle commercial flight; and • 2025: Successfully demonstrating a narrowbody hybrid electric configuration with power transfer and injection in a modified high-bypass turbofan engine – no energy storage required – through the NASA HyTEC project. A strategic partnership and equity investment announced in 2025 with BETA Technologies to accelerate hybrid electric aviation includes plans to co-develop a hybrid electric turbogenerator for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) applications. * Dowty and Avio Aero are GE Aerospace companies. ** Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines (RISE) is a technology demonstration program of CFM International, a 50-50 joint company between GE Aerospace and Safran Aircraft Engines. It is not a product offered for commercial sale. Air Force Seeks New Gearboxes for CV-22 in ’27 Budget June 3, 2026 By Greg Hadley The Air Force plans to spend $213 million on its CV-22 fleet in fiscal 2027, about one-fifth of a $1.12 billion investment in the tiltrotor aircraft across the Pentagon. Air Force budget documents show plans to install new proprotor gearboxes built from an improved steel alloy to fix the same critical parts that failed, leading to a deadly 2023 crash in Japan, as well as a costly 2024 mishap in New Mexico. “The V-22 [Joint Program Office], working with our industry partners at Bell-Boeing, began fielding an improved PRGB that implements X-53 Triple-Melt Steel upgrades,” Air Force budget documents state. “Incorporating this cutting-edge steel alloy into PRGB critical assemblies is expected to reduce wear and mitigate risk of premature gear system failures. The budget documents do not detail the cost of the new gearboxes, but cite $105 million for reliability modifications, which would include the proprotor gearbox. The service is ordering 166 “Group A” kits consisting of wiring and other equipment to support installation, plus 25 “Group B” kits. The Air Force has already procured hundreds of “reliability” kits, though it only has 56 CV-22s. The joint nature of the V-22, flown by three of the military services, has led to a unique cost-sharing arrangement between the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and U.S. Special Operations Command. The Navy is the lead service and funds development of the MV-22 and CMV-22 variants. The Air Force funds the “service-common” portions of the Osprey, while SOCOM funds the development and procurement of special ops-specific systems. The first gearbox replacements took place this past January. More work may lie ahead: The Air Force is also asking for money to fund proprotor gearbox work in its research, development, test, and evaluation budget in 2027, which includes $45.7 million to support V-22 R&D. The gearbox fixes follow multiple fatal accidents and address critical components in the Osprey’s unique “tiltrotor” design. The complexity of the aircraft’s transmission has been a concern since it debuted in the 1990s, with the weight and vibration of tilting the entire engine back and forth imposing enormous stress on the gears and driveshaft. Military investigations determined a weak metal alloy contributed to past failures: 22 instances of gears cracking since 2006, according to a comprehensive review by Naval Air Systems Command released in December 2025. Beyond the new gearbox, the Air Force’s V-22 budget includes a veritable alphabet soup of acronyms for improvement initiatives—nearly 20 were name-checked in documents. One of the most prominent is the Gearbox Vibration Monitoring Hard Clutch Engagement, an upgrade to overcome another known issue; hard clutch engagements occur when the clutch slips and reengages, causing massive swings in torque and making the aircraft difficult to control. The Air Force has grounded the CV-22 in the past while it investigated instances of hard clutch engagements. Another major effort is the Cockpit Technology Refresh, or VeCToR, a “comprehensive modernization of the aircraft’s avionics systems,” according to the Congressional Research Service. In addition to all the current improvement programs underway, the Air Force budget also includes research and development funding for future modifications, including changes to extend the CV-22’s range and response time for “enhanced self-deployment.” The service is earmarking $17.5 million for that. SOCOM is also looking at V-22 modifications in the 2027 budget. The command offers only cryptic details, however, including “defensive/survivability systems; situational awareness systems; mission planning systems … electronic warfare systems.” One new system it did specify is a new terrain following radar dubbed Silent Knight, designed to help the aircraft fly closer to the ground in contested airspace. KC-46’s New Remote Vision System Completes Initial ‘Non-Contact’ Testing June 4, 2026 By Matthew Cox Boeing has completed initial flight testing on its redesigned Remote Vision System for the KC-46 tanker, the defense giant announced June 4. The new system, dubbed RVS 2.0, is meant to replace the original camera and video system boom operators use to refuel other aircraft, which has faced issues for years now. RVS 2.0 first flew in November 2025 on a modified test aircraft, kicking off months of validation tests. Boeing and the Air Force confirmed these tests were “non-contact,” meaning they didn’t involve using the system to actually connect with another aircraft. Instead, this initial phase “demonstrated the system’s maturity and validated the … optical performance of the ruggedized cameras, as well as control and processing hardware,” per Boeing’s announcement. The completion of this first phase keeps RVS 2.0 moving toward certification and fielding. The roots of RVS 2.0 date back to 2016, when the Air Force identified major deficiencies with the current system. Boom operators reported eye-strain and headaches while using it, and in certain lighting conditions struggled to see the refueling receptacle clearly. That can lead to damage to the receiving plane if the boom scrapes against that aircraft. The new system is meant to fix these issues with upgraded cameras and an advanced 3-D display system to enhance depth perception. It has been delayed several times, however, most recently slipping from a projected target of summer 2027 into 2028. In this two-dimensional representations of a three-dimensional immersive vision system optimized for dynamic range in operational environmental conditions, a KC-46 refuels a C-17. Image courtesy of Boeing. This latest testing milestone comes three weeks after the Air Force and Boeing unveiled an agreement to resolve critical deficiencies with the Pegasus that currently stand in the way of the service signing a pending contract for 75 additional KC-46s. A major part of the Air Force-Boeing agreement is to “accelerate” the fielding of the new RVS 2.0 by installing the new system on existing KC-46s as they come in for depot-level maintenance. While the initial fielding date slipped, the agreement cut the timeline to complete retrofits on existing KC-46s with the RVS 2.0 from 13 years to seven years. Boeing will provide engineering, hardware kits, and training, but Air Force personnel at the Oklahoma City Air Logistics Complex will be responsible for the installation of the RVS 2.0, an Air Force spokesperson said. Details about the next steps in RVS 2.0 testing and certification are not completely clear, but a Boeing spokesperson said the “remaining work will include additional lab and flight test and other formal certification activities, performed in collaboration with the Air Force.” Other Issues RVS 2.0 is just one of several KC-46 fixes that Boeing and the Air Force are working on. The original boom telescoping actuator had to be redesigned after it was found to cause the boom to become “stiff” and prevent it from refueling certain aircraft, such as the A-10 Thunderbolt II, that cannot produce enough thrust to keep the boom in place during refueling. The Air Force-Boeing plan also includes a five-year “performance-based logistics agreement” to better support the aerial-refueling subsystem and other key components. A third aspect of the plan involves the Air Force “repurposing five early-build aircraft”—two for testing and three of which will cannibalized for their engines, landing gear, and other high-value spare parts and injected into the operational fleet. These early-build aircraft are initial production units of the current KC-46 contract, an Air Force spokesperson said. They were originally intended to be refurbished and delivered to the fleet in early 2031, so repurposing them for spare parts now will free up “otherwise trapped materiel,” according to the May 13 announcement. The KC-46 plan is needed to improve the fleet’s readiness—despite being relatively new, the Pegasus has struggled in that area. It had a 62 percent mission capable rate in 2024, the last year the Air Force publicly released aircraft readiness rates. The Pegasus “still faces fleet readiness challenges,” William Bailey, acting assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology, and logistics, acknowledged during the May 13 congressional hearing. The new readiness improvement initiative between the Air Force and Boeing “is expected to provide a near-term availability boost of approximately 6 percent and provide a long-term aircraft availability increase of over 20 percent by 2030,” Bailey said. Senior Air Force leaders remain adamant that the RVS 2.0 and other upgrades must be ready before the Air Force will sign a new contract to buy an extra 75 additional tankers in fiscal 2028. Officials announced in July 2025 that the service would purchase the additional KC-46s on top of the current program of record for 188. The additional KC-46s are intended to serve as a short-term measure to keep production on a modern tanker going while the Air Force considers a long-term plan to replace its aging fleet of KC-135 Stratotankers. Graduate Research Request Candidate in Aviation with a specialization in Human Factors at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. With nearly 40 years of experience in aircraft maintenance and aviation safety, his dissertation research examines how Aircraft Maintenance Technicians (AMTs) experience and describe decision-making during troubleshooting, inspection, and repair activities in Part 121 and Part 135 operations. The IRB-approved study seeks currently employed Part 121 and Part 135 AMTs with at least one year of maintenance experience to participate in one confidential 60 to 75-minute virtual interview focused on real-world maintenance decision-making. Participation is voluntary and confidential, and no proprietary or company-specific information will be requested. Although employed by the FAA, this research is conducted solely in an academic capacity and is not affiliated with or conducted on behalf of the FAA. Individuals interested in participating or learning more may contact Steve Poiani at poianadf@my.erau.edu. https://sites.google.com/view/aircraftmaintenancestudy/home Steve Poiani Doctoral Candidate Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University poianadf@my.erau.edu Curt Lewis