F-35 Downgrades | New "Doomsday" Plane | Laser Rockets 🚀

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Edited by: Sidney McAlear

FLIGHT LINE

🎯 Pentagon Scales Back F-35 Block 4 Upgrades to Curb Growing Delays

The U.S. Department of Defense has rescoped the F‑35 Block 4 modernization to focus on a smaller set of capabilities deliverable by 2031. This decision comes amidst delays and overruns that have pushed the program at least $6 billion over budget. A new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) confirms that some upgrades, particularly those requiring improved engine power and cooling, have been dropped or deferred to meet more achievable cost and schedule targets. (more)

Lowdown Debrief:
Block 4 is intended to enhance the F-35 Lightning II with new weapons, electronic warfare tools, sensor fusion, and improved comms and navigation, but depends on the delayed Technology Refresh 3 (TR-3). Originally scheduled to deliver 66 capabilities by 2026, Block 4 is now reduced to a fraction of that, with full implementation pushed to 2031 or later. The revised plan prioritizes features that can be fielded with current hardware while deferring those dependent on future propulsion and thermal upgrades.

🎯 Flight Tests Kick Off on Air Force’s New “Doomsday Plane”

The U.S. Air Force and Sierra Nevada Corporation have begun flight testing the E‑4C Survivable Airborne Operations Center (SAOC) — the next-generation “doomsday plane” — to replace the legacy E‑4B command fleet. The first test flight occurred August 7, 2025 in Dayton, Ohio, with further testing planned through 2026 in Dayton and Wichita. The five-aircraft program, built on modified Boeing 747-8s, is funded under a $13 billion contract and is expected to reach operational service by 2036. (more)

Lowdown Debrief:
The SAOC is designed to succeed the E‑4B Nightwatch, an airborne command-and-control platform that has served as the U.S. National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC) since the Cold War. Outfitted for survivability in nuclear and EMP environments, the E‑4B has long served as a mobile command post for national leadership. The SAOC, based on the Boeing 747‑8I, will include hardened systems, aerial refueling, and modular secure communications for continuity of government during crisis. Sierra Nevada’s program infrastructure includes a dedicated conversion facility in Dayton and four acquired 747‑8s, laying the industrial foundation for full operational capability by the mid‑2030s.

🎯 Rocketing Demand Drives $9.8 B Army Contract for PAC‑3 Missiles

The U.S. Army has awarded Lockheed Martin a record-setting $9.8 billion multi-year contract for approximately 1,970 PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) interceptors, the largest such deal ever for the Missiles and Fire Control division. Covering fiscal years 2024 to 2026, the contract supports both U.S. and allied deployments of the Patriot missile system. (more)

Lowdown Debrief:
This award adds to a $4.5 billion PAC‑3 MSE contract from mid‑2024, bringing the total to nearly 2,840 interceptors procured within two years. Paralleling this growth, the U.S. recently signed a $3.5 billion record contract for AIM‑120 Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missiles (AMRAAM) to replenish stretched stockpiles and support 19 allied partners, following two prior deals of approximately $1.2 billion and $1.15 billion. Simultaneously, the Navy is ramping up AIM‑9X Sidewinder production under a $1.1 billion contract, boosting annual output to 2,500 missiles at a time when demand is surging across global theatres. According to a recent GAO assessment, air-and-missile defense spending has sharply increased since FY 2021.

🎯 Rocket Salvo: F‑15E Ramps Up Counter‑Drone Role with APKWS II Integration

The U.S. Air Force accelerated integration of the AGR‑20F APKWS II laser-guided rockets onto F‑15E Strike Eagles in May 2025, conducting live-fire tests within just nine days at Eglin AFB, Florida, and fielding the capability within a week. Fully configured with six LAU‑131 rocket pods, the Strike Eagle can now carry 42 precision rockets plus eight air-to-air missiles, dramatically boosting its aerial engagement capacity. (more)

Lowdown Debrief:
This integration was driven by operational necessity; past sorties defending Israel in April 2024 against Iranian drones revealed critical limits in missile stockpiles. APKWS II, a cost-effective, laser-guided conversion of the Hydra‑70 rocket, costs approximately $15,000–$20,000 per unit versus the $450,000 AIM‑9X or $1 million AIM‑120, making it a budget-wise counter‑UAS solution. For the F‑15E, even legacy triple-ejector racks salvaged from storage were repurposed to mount the rockets, enabling rapid deployment.

SNAPSHOT

🚩 For the second time in two days, Venezuelan F-16 fighter jets buzzed the USS Jason Dunham in international waters—what U.S. officials called a “game of chicken”—prompting President Trump to warn that any Venezuelan aircraft flying in a dangerous position may be “shot down”. (more) 

🚩 FBI and Capitol Police are investigating China-linked hacking group APT41 after spoofed emails from Representative John Moolenaar’s office targeted U.S. trade groups ahead of July negotiations .(more)

 🚩 The U.S. Air Force conducted its first-ever pilotless cargo flights in the Indo-Pacific this summer during the Resolute Force Pacific (REFORPAC) exercise. This feat was accomplished using a Cessna 208B Grand Caravan equipped with Joby Aviation’s Superpilot software and remotely piloted from Guam over 4,000 miles away with a safety pilot onboard for oversight, highlighting how autonomous light aircraft could relieve larger transports in contested logistics networks. (more)

🚩 The U.S. Air Force has awarded a prototyping contract for a successor to the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) with the Next Generation Penetrator (NGP). The 30,000-lb bunker-buster is used to strike Iran’s fortified nuclear sites, indicating a push to develop next-generation deep-penetration munitions. (more)

🚩 SpaceX and EchoStar struck a deal for 50 MHz of U.S. S-band and global MSS spectrum to power Starlink’s next-gen Direct-to-Cell network with 5G coverage and up to 100× more capacity. (more)

THREAT OF THE DAY (TOD)

Threat: AGR-20 Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System (APKWS)
Country of Origin: United States
Initial Operational Capability: 2012
Primary Role: Precision-guided air-to-surface munition (laser-guided rocket)
Proliferation: Widely exported; operators include the U.S., Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and several NATO allies.

Variants:
🔺 APKWS I – Initial version, fielded 2012
🔺 APKWS II – Improved guidance system, reduced minimum engagement range
🔺 Ground-Launched APKWS (GL-APKWS) – Adapted for ground-based launchers

Range: 2–5 km (1.1–2.7 nautical miles) from rotary-wing platforms; up to ~12 km (6.5 nautical miles) from fixed-wing aircraft
Armament / Payload: Standard 70 mm (2.75 in) Hydra rocket warheads, including high-explosive, anti-personnel, and penetration variants
Propulsion: Solid-fuel rocket motor (Hydra 70 base)
Defensive Capability / Survivability: Precision stand-off reduces aircraft exposure to close-in air defenses; compatible with countermeasure systems
Maximum Speed: Approximately 475 knots (880 km/h; Mach 0.72)

Recent Combat Activity:
🔺 Widely employed by U.S. AH-64 Apache and AH-1Z Viper helicopters against ISIS targets in Iraq and Syria (2014–2019)
🔺 Deployed by Saudi-led coalition aircraft in Yemen for precision strikes with reduced collateral damage
🔺 Used by Ukrainian forces (2022–present) after U.S. and allies provided stocks to counter Russian armor and fortifications

Fun Fact:
The APKWS is essentially a “smart upgrade kit” — a guidance section installed between the warhead and motor of a standard Hydra 70 rocket. This modular approach turned tens of thousands of unguided rockets into precision weapons at a fraction of the cost of a Hellfire missile.

Answer: The first AIM-120 AMRAAM kill occurred on December 27, 1992, when Lieutenant Colonel Gary North shot down an Iraqi MiG-25 Foxbat-E in an F-16D Fighting Falcon during Operation Southern Watch over southern Iraq.