The B-21 Stealth bomber has been having flight tests for a few months. U.S. Air Force’s B-21 Raider stealth bombers are now conducting test flights from Edwards Air Force Base in California. The first B-21 flew for the first time November, 2023. Six pre-production B-21 have been built. The Air Force currently expects the B-21 …
Hermeus is a aviation startup that could be the Lockheed Skunkworks for this generation. They could develop a ultrafast mach 5+ hypersonic jet in record time. Later this year Hermeus is aiming to take their first subsonic flight and will fly at Mach 2.5 next year and then hypersonic before 2030. They built a ramjet …
The US Air Force plans to spend $28.5 Billion on the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter program from 2025 to 2029. This will be for the 6th generation fighter and the companion wingman drones. The development will ramp up with production starting around 2030. The NGAD will have next level stealth, vastly better engines …
An 83 page 2023, report to the US Congress by the Department of Energy has three citations to articles by Nextbigfuture.com Alternate Fuels: Thorium and Uranium-233, Report to Congress March 2023 This report describes the potential use of thorium fuel and uranium-233 (U-233) in future eneration IV reactor designs and in current light water reactors. …
Northrop Grumman Corporation completed assembly of a full-size uncrewed underwater vehicle (UUV) prototype known as Manta Ray. A new class of UUV, it is an extra-large glider that will operate long-duration, long-range and payload-capable undersea missions without need for on-site human logistics. The Manta Ray can wait on the seabed to intercept nuclear submarines. DARPA’s …
The US Army has used lasers to take down hostile drones in the Middle East, Doug Bush, the Army’s head of acquisitions. It’s the first time the Defense Department has acknowledged that such weapons have been used in combat. The US is not the first country to use lasers in actual combat. Starting in 2020, …
The Israel Defense Force has announced the beginning of Offensive Ground Operations against the City of Rafah in Southern Gaza, with the Spokesman stating that IDF Troops are now “Striking and Operating” against Hamas Targets in Eastern Rafah. The IDF is currently conducting targeted strikes against Hamas terror targets in eastern Rafah in southern Gaza. …
The first ever Jetsuit races were held in Dubai about a month ago. Nextbigfuture has covered the Gravity Industry Jet suits for a few years. The jets and powerpack are attached to wearer with metal frames. They use five micro-gas turbines, two on each arm and one on the back. Their power is 1,050 bhp …
Dr. Charles Buhler and Exodus Technologies claims that systems with electrostatic pressure differences or electrostatic divergent fields gives systems with a center of mass with non-zero force component (aka generate movement). Buhler is NASA’s subject matter expert on electrostatics. They want to move to demo the system in orbit. These kinds of claims are controversial …
Israeli drones have hit western Iran. Explosions were heard in the city of Isfahan prompting commercial flights to divert from their routes. Explosions were heard near the Iranian city of Isfahan early Friday as Israel reportedly launched a heavily anticipated reprisal strike for an Iranian attack on Israel days earlier, defying international pressure to stand …
DARPA’s Air Combat Evolution (ACE) program had the first-ever in-air tests of AI algorithms autonomously flying a fighter jet against a human-piloted fighter jet in within-visual-range combat scenarios (aka dogfighting). The General Dynamics X-62 VISTA (“Variable Stability In-flight Simulator Test Aircraft”) is an experimental aircraft, derived from the F-16D Fighting Falcon, which was modified as …