The F-47 and the future of air combat: Weapons and Warfare

Aug 06, 2025 at 03:00 AM CDT

Ryan Robertson, Brett Baker

This week on Weapons and Warfare, Ryan explores the Air Force's plans for the F-47 fighter jet and the Collaborative Combat Aircraft concept. — Image credit: Straight Arrow News

This recording was made using enhanced software.

This week on Weapons and Warfare, join host Ryan Robertson as he explores the U.S. Air Force’s plans for the F-47 fighter jet and the Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA) concept, where manned and unmanned systems work together for enhanced operational efficiency. We’ll examine how these innovations will impact global military dynamics and the future of aerial warfare.

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Also featured in this episode:

Ukraine’s F-16s get an assist.
Iran and the U.S. Navy cross paths.
USAF launched REFORGER sequel.
Weapon of the Week: Exploring 3D printing on the tactical edge.

You can subscribe to the Weapons and Warfare podcast on the platform of your choosing here.

Ryan Robertson is the anchor of the Straight Arrow News video podcast Weapons and Warfare. He wore many hats in his career — from photographer to news director — and firmly believes honest journalism will save our Republic.

Brett Baker

Brett Baker is a senior producer at Straight Arrow News, where he oversees the production of Weapons and Warfare. An Air Force veteran with more than 35 years in broadcast journalism, Brett combines his military experience and passion for storytelling to serve SAN's audience.

Tags: fighter jets, Iran, Navy, U.S. Air Force, Ukraine

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[RYAN ROBERTSON]

EVERYTHING OLD IS NEW AGAIN. FROM REFORGER (Re-forger) TO REFORPAC (Re-for-Pac), THE AIR FORCE DUSTS OFF A DECADE-OLD EXERCISE AND REFORMATS IT FOR THE PACIFIC. WE’LL TALK ABOUT IT.

AND SOLVING PROBLEMS AT THE TACTICAL EDGE. SEE HOW THIS VIRGINIA-BASED COMPANY IS ENABLING SOLDIERS, SAILORS, AIRMEN, AND MARINES TO 3-D PRINT SOLUTIONS TO COUNTLESS PROBLEMS IN THE BATTLE SPACE.

HEY FOLKS AND WELCOME TO WEAPONS AND WARFARE, FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS, I’M YOUR HOST, RYAN ROBERTSON. THOSE STORIES AND MORE ARE JUST AHEAD ON THIS WEEK’S EPISODE, BUT WE’RE STARTING WITH AN EYE ON THE FUTURE.

SPECIFICALLY, THE AIR FORCE’S VISION FOR THE F-47, THE COLLABORATIVE COMBAT AIRCRAFT, AND THEIR ROLES IN MAINTAINING AIR DOMINANCE. IT’S THE SUBJECT OF THIS WEEK’S DEBRIEF.

LOOK AT ANY MODERN MILITARY SUCCESS THE UNITED STATES HAS ACHIEVED SINCE WORLD WAR II, AND A FEW THEMES EMERGE. ONE OF THE MOST PROMINENT IS AIR DOMINANCE.

CREATED AS ITS OWN BRANCH OF SERVICE IN 1947, THE AIR FORCE PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN AMERICA’S DEFENSE FOR NEARLY EIGHT DECADES. SO WHAT DO THE NEXT 77 YEARS LOOK LIKE?

TO BEGIN TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, THE AIR FORCE’S DIRECTOR OF FORCE DESIGN, INTEGRATION, AND WAR GAMING, MAJOR GENERAL JOE KUNKEL, SAT DOWN TO TALK ABOUT THE F-47, COLLABORATIVE COMBAT AIRCRAFT, AND AMERICAN AIR DOMINANCE IN THE 21ST CENTURY. HE SAYS AFTER MORE THAN THREE DECADES OF FOCUSING ON THE MIDDLE EAST, THE AIR FORCE IS TAKING A VERY HARD LOOK AT ITSELF. COMPARING IT TO THE END OF VIETNAM, AND THE START OF THE COLD WAR.

[Maj Gen Joe Kunkel, Dir. of Force Design Integration, War Gaming, USAF]

“We’re looking at it going, ‘Wow, we’re probably not the right size. We’re probably not the right shape for this fight that we might have to fight against a different peer adversary.’ And so this force design has taken a different look. It’s just like in the past. We’re taking a look at the threat, and we’re looking at how the threat impacts us, and we’re designing to that.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

PART OF THAT DESIGN IS LEANING HEAVILY INTO DEVELOPING THE F-47.

BORN FROM THE NEXT GENERATION AIR DOMINANCE PROGRAM, THE BOEING DESIGNED JET WILL BE AMERICA’S FIRST SIXTH-GENERATION AIR SUPERIORITY FIGHTER. BUT IT’S NOT WITHOUT SOME CONTROVERSY.

FRANK KENDALL, THE SECRETARY OF THE AIR FORCE DURING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION, PUBLICLY QUESTIONED THE EFFORT, CITING COST, THE EVENTUAL ADDITION OF CCAs TO THE FORCE, AND UNTAPPED POTENTIAL IN THE CURRENT F-35 FLEET.

THAT’S NOT A VIEW SHARED BY GENERAL KUNKEL.

[Maj Gen Joe Kunkel, Dir. of Force Design Integration, War Gaming, USAF]

“The F-47, the NGAD, before we called it, the F-47, the F-47 absolutely does matter and changes the character of the fight. I mean, it does. It doesn’t change the character of the fight just for the Air Force. It changes it for the joint force. You know, it allows us to get places. Allows the joint force to get places where it otherwise couldn’t. It allows us to move closer to the adversary. It allows us to counter the adversary in ways we can’t.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

WITH AN EXPECTED COMBAT RADIUS OF MORE THAN 1,100 MILES AND A TOP SPEED ABOVE MACH 2, THE F-47 IS EXPECTED TO ENTER SERVICE SOMETIME BEFORE 2029.

THAT’S AROUND THE SAME TIME AS THE COLLABORATIVE COMBAT AIRCRAFT. ALSO KNOWN AS THE CCA, IS EXPECTED TO FLY INTO SERVICE. THESE UNMANNED MACHINES ARE SEEN AS ONE OF THE KEY NEXT STEPS IN THE DOD’S EFFORTS TO MODERNIZE THE NATION’S DEFENSE.

[Maj Gen Joe Kunkel, Dir. of Force Design Integration, War Gaming, USAF]

“What CCA does in the fight, it’s twofold. One, it provides affordable mass, but the other thing it does is it complicates the picture for an adversary. And you know, as a as an air to air guy, we all know that the easiest picture is this single axis, single azimuth. You know picture right that the fight. You know that everyone’s coming right at you, and it’s like, okay, hey, diddle, diddle at the middle, we can take this on. What’s more complex and harder fight is this multi access, dense threat environment, and with CCA is we have the opportunity to do that. ”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

THIS PAST MARCH, THE AIR FORCE NARROWED THE LIST OF POTENTIAL BUILDERS FOR THE PROJECT, DOWN TO TWO: GENERAL ATOMICS, AND ANDURIL.

GROUND TESTING FOR THE INITIAL PROTOTYPES, THE Y-F-Q-42-A AND Y-F-Q-44-A, STARTED IN MAY, WITH THE FIRST FLIGHTS ANTICIPATED SOME TIME THIS SUMMER. THE AIR FORCE INTENDS TO REACH A PRODUCTION DECISION FOR INCREMENT 1 OF THE PROGRAM A LITTLE LESS THAN A YEAR FROM NOW. ULTIMATELY, GENERAL KUNKEL SEES THE CCA AS NOT ONLY A FORCE MULTIPLIER, BUT A FORCE ENHANCER.

[Maj Gen Joe Kunkel, Dir. of Force Design Integration, War Gaming, USAF]

“CCA integration with F-47 makes the F-47 better. CCA integration with F-35, F-22, I would suggest, potentially in the future of B-21, and maybe just CCA on its own, complicates the adversary picture, puts us in a better position where it makes the fight better for all of us.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

WHILE MUCH OF THE AIR FORCE’S PLANNING IS FOCUSED ON YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, KUNKEL SAYS THEY ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT’S HAPPENING AROUND THE WORLD RIGHT NOW. CITING EXAMPLES OF CURRENT CONFLICTS IN UKRAINE AND THE MIDDLE EAST. ACKNOWLEDGING THAT BIGGER MAY NOT BE BETTER WHEN IT COMES TO NEUTRALIZING THREATS.

[Maj Gen Joe Kunkel, Dir. of Force Design Integration, War Gaming, USAF]

“If we’re shooting multi-million dollar missiles against, you know, multi $1,000 drones, we’re in this cost imposition that doesn’t make sense for us. And we’ve been pursuing cheaper weapons in a mix of, you know, affordable mass for a long time. But that that just it was one more example where it’s like, hey, this this affordable mass. There’s something to it. We need to figure out how to do it so we don’t find ourselves on, you know, depleting weapons when, when, frankly, we don’t need to.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

ONE THING THE AIR FORCE IS VERY AWARE OF IS THE TRADITIONAL THINKING ABOUT WHAT AIR SUPERIORITY LOOKS LIKE, AND HOW THAT’S LIKELY TO CHANGE AS PROGRAMS LIKE THE B-21, CCA, AND F-47 COME ONLINE.

[Maj Gen Joe Kunkel, Dir. of Force Design Integration, War Gaming, USAF]

“There’s probably places where there’s mutual air denial, where where no one’s no one has air superiority, but we’re denying the air domain to the adversary. And I think you know, in some of these cases, that may be perfectly acceptable, where we don’t have, like this dominating presence all the time, over over. We’re not trying to take over a plot of air, but we’re certainly trying to deny it from the adversary and deny its use. Now, is that your superiority? I don’t know. I tend to think it is, but it may not be. You know, the traditional definition that we’ve had.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

GENERAL KUNKEL WENT ON TO SAY THAT THE WAY THE AIR FORCE BUILDS ITS ARSENAL IS CHANGING. MOVING FROM A THIS FIGHTER, OR THIS BOMBER, MINDSET, TO ONE OF THIS SYSTEM, OR THAT SYSTEM. A TOTAL INTEGRATION OF FIGHTERS, BOMBERS, AIR REFUELERS, HYPERSONICS, AND UNMANNED AIRCRAFT JUST TO NAME A FEW.

[Maj Gen Joe Kunkel, Dir. of Force Design Integration, War Gaming, USAF]

“You know, we are on the verge of something great. We’ve got the right people in place to develop the right capabilities. We figured out what it takes to win, and we are aggressively pursuing those things.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

ALL RIGHT TIME NOW FOR SOME HEADLINES THAT YOU MAY HAVE MISSED, SENIOR PRODUCER AND AIR FORCE VETERAN BRETT BAKER JOINS US ONCE AGAIN. BRETT, OVER THE WEEKEND, I WENT DOWN TO KANSAS CITY TO VISIT SOME FAMILY, AND I GOT THIS AWESOME NEW WATER BOTTLE. I JUST HAD TO SHOW IT OFF TO YOU. IT KIND OF LEAKS A LITTLE BIT. I DON’T KNOW IF IT’S A NORTH KOREAN WATER BOTTLE. NOT REALLY THE BEST, BUT IT LOOKS GREAT. SO JUST WANTED TO SHOW THAT TO YOU.

[BRETT BAKER]

BE SURE TO RECORD YOURSELF GOING THROUGH TSA THE NEXT TIME WE GO SOMEWHERE WITH THAT IN YOUR BACKPACK.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

YEAH, I’M GONNA PUT THAT IN THERE AND JUST, YOU KNOW, I’LL HAVE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE. AND, YOU KNOW, WE’LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. THEY GOT RID OF THE FLUID RESTRICTIONS. WE DON’T HAVE TO TAKE OUR SHOES OFF ANYMORE, SO MAYBE I’LL BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH LET’S SEE. ALL RIGHT, LET’S GO AHEAD AND GET TO THOSE HEADLINES. WHAT DO YOU SAY?

[BRETT BAKER]

LET’S DO IT.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

UKRAINIAN AIR FORCE HAS SOME NEW VEHICLES TO BOLSTER THE OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE OF ITS F 16 VIPERS AS THEY CONTINUE TO BATTLE BACK AGAINST RUSSIA’S ILLEGAL INVASION PROVIDED BY THE CHARITABLE FOUNDATION, COME BACK ALIVE. THESE VEHICLES WILL HELP WITH MUNITIONS HANDLING AND SERVE AS A MOBILE COMMAND POST OF SORTS, WITH AT LEAST 80 5F 16 PLEDGED TO THE UKRAINIANS. THIS KIND OF GROUND SUPPORT IS REALLY A BIG DEAL. BRETT, AND YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT IT, IT’S, IT’S KIND OF TAKING THE ALL OF THE OPERATIONS THAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY SEE AT A BASE, AND PUTTING THAT ON THE MOVE SO THAT THESE F 16 CAN OPERATE FROM AUSTERE LOCATIONS.

[BRETT BAKER]

YEAH, IT’S A BIG DEAL. ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED WHEN WE WERE AT THE AIR FORCE WARFARE SYMPOSIUM, AIR FORCE ASSOCIATION WARFARE SYMPOSIUM IN AURORA EARLIER THIS YEAR WAS THE THEN YOU SAFE US AIR FORCE’S EUROPE COMMANDER WAS TALKING TO THE SOME FOLKS FROM UKRAINE AND ASKING THEM ABOUT HOW THEY’RE KEEPING RUSSIA ON THEIR HEELS WITH THE NEW ESSEX TEAMS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS HE LEARNED WAS THEY DON’T LAND AT THE SAME BASE. THEY TAKE OFF FROM, WHICH IS PRETTY SMART, BUT SO A VEHICLE LIKE THIS REALLY HELPS IN THAT ENDEAVOR. IT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, YEAH, DEFINITELY KEEPS THE RUSSIANS GUESSING. THEY DON’T KNOW WHERE, WHEN THOSE JETS ARE GOING TO TOUCH DOWN. SO HAVING THESE VEHICLES BE ABLE TO GO TO WHEREVER THAT NEXT SPOT IS IS A BIG DEAL IN ESTABLISHING THAT INFRASTRUCTURE. THAT, TO THIS POINT, YOU KNOW, UKRAINE IS STILL BUILDING OUT FOR THESE F-16s.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

EXACTLY. YEAH, THEY THE F 16 S CAME IN DURING WARTIME. SO IT’S NOT LIKE THEY HAD THE ADVANTAGE OF BEING ABLE TO BUILD THIS INFRASTRUCTURE OUT AHEAD OF TIME. AND REALLY THE IT’S KIND OF SHOWCASES THE WORK, WORK SMART, NOT HARD, KIND OF MENTALITY. UKRAINIANS HAVE A MANPOWER PROBLEM, AND THESE VEHICLES ALLOW THEM TO RESUPPLY AN F 16 WITH LIKE THREE GUYS INSTEAD OF 10 TO 12 GUYS. SO MAKES THINGS A WHOLE LOT EASIER ON THE GROUND CREWS, LIKE YOU SAID, ABLE TO KIND OF BOUNCE AROUND. OBVIOUSLY THE AIR FORCE, THE US AIR FORCE, IS PROBABLY LOOKING AT SOME OF THESE LESSONS, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW WHAT UKRAINIAN IS, WHAT THE UKRAINIANS ARE DOING NOW IN REAL TIME, COULD BE KIND OF WHAT THE REST OF EUROPE MIGHT HAVE TO END UP DOING DOWN THE ROAD.

[BRETT BAKER]

ABSOLUTELY, IT’S JUST ANOTHER CASE IN, YOU KNOW, OF LESSONS LEARNED, AND, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO KIND OF OBSERVE WHAT THEY’RE WHAT THEY’RE DOING, AND THINKING ABOUT HOW OUR NATION’S DEFENSE, HOW WE CAN APPLY THAT TO WHAT OUR PLANS ARE GOING FORWARD.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

YOU BET, YOU BET. ALL RIGHT, LET’S GO AHEAD AND HIT THE NEXT..

[BRETT BAKER]

ABSOLUTELY, OH, HOLD ON. OH, THAT’S SAID, YOU BET. YOU SAID YOU BET. THAT’S TWO FOR THE JAR. ALL RIGHT, YOU CAN, YOU CAN. VENMO ME.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

ALL RIGHT. CHECKS IN THE MAIL.

BRETT, NEXT UP, IN LATE JULY, IRAN CLAIMED THEY WARNED A U.S. NAVY DESTROYER TO CHANGE ITS COURSE WHILE IT WAS CRUISING NEAR THEIR WATERS.

IRANIAN STATE MEDIA EVEN RELEASED A VIDEO SHOWCASING THE USS FITZGERALD, A GUIDED MISSILE DESTROYER. ON THE CLIP, YOU CAN HEAR A CREW MEMBER WARNING THE FITZGERALD THAT IT WAS GETTING TOO CLOSE TO IRANIAN TERRITORIAL WATERS. WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE INCIDENT, THE US DEFENSE OFFICIAL TOLD REUTERS THAT THE INCIDENT HAD, QUOTE, NO IMPACT ON THE DESTROYER, AND SUGGESTED THAT ANY CLAIMS TO THE CONTRARY WERE JUST IRAN’S ISLAMIC REVOLUTIONARY GUARD CORPS TRYING TO SPREAD MISINFORMATION. BRETT YOU PROBABLY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE EXPERIENCE IN THIS REALM AS AN AIR FORCE VETERAN, BUT AN IRANIAN HELICOPTER PROBABLY POSES LITTLE THREAT, IF ANYTHING, TO A US DESTROYER.

[BRETT BAKER]

THIS IS LIKE THE INTERNATIONAL EXAMPLE OF HOBIE BACK, BRO. YOU KNOW, FLEXING SOME PUFFERY, NOT REALLY BRINGING MUCH OF A THREAT. I’M LIKE, OKAY, WE’RE CLOSE TO YOUR WATERS. ARE WE IN YOUR WATERS? NO, NO. SO WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO? YEAH? UM, YEAH. I THINK THIS IS JUST IRAN NEEDING SOMETHING TO FLEX ABOUT AND LET THEIR FOLKS KNOW. HEY, WE’RE OUT HERE. WE’RE KEEPING IT TIGHT. UM. UM, WHEN IN REALITY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST KIND OF LIKE A VERY AMUSING ANECDOTE, PROBABLY FOR THE GUYS ON THAT SHIP, THE GUYS AND GALS ON THAT SHIP.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

SO, YEAH, HOLD ME BACK, BRO. RIGHT, RIGHT. YEAH, THE I WAS DOING A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH ON THIS STORY, AND THE IRANIANS HAD TOLD THEY SAID THAT THEY TOLD THE US, NAVAL DESTROYER LIKE, HEY, WE’RE WE GOT THE BACKING OF THE IRANIAN AIR DEFENSES, WHICH, AT THIS POINT MEANS ALMOST NOTHING. THE ISRAELIS AND THE US HAVE JUST DECIMATED IRANIAN AIR DEFENSES, SO A BACKING OF A PAPER TIGER. OOH. SCARY, SCARY. YEAH, SO LIKE YOU SAID, HOLD ME BACK, BRO.

LAST SEPTEMBER WE REPORTED THAT AIR FORCE CHIEF OF STAFF, GENERAL DAVID ALLVIN ANNOUNCED THE AIR FORCE WAS DUSTING OFF THE OLD REFORGER, AKA RETURN OF FORCES TO GERMANY, EXERCISE AND TAKING IT TO THE PACIFIC, CALLING IT REFORPAC. WELL, IT’S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW AS WE’RE RECORDING THIS SEGMENT. IT’S DUE TO END AUGUST 8. ACCORDING TO AIR FORCE OFFICIALS, RESOLOLUTE FORCE PACIFIC INVOLVES MORE THAN 400 AIRCRAFT AND OVER 12,000 PERSONNEL ACROSS MORE THAN 50 LOCATIONS SPANNING 3,000 MILES OVER THE YEARS, THERE HAVE BEEN VARIOUS EXERCISES IN THE PACIFIC, BUT NOTHING QUITE ON THIS SCALE. BRETT,

[BRETT BAKER]

NO, I THINK THIS IS A GREAT THING. YOU KNOW, MY TIME IN THE AIR FORCE WAS EXPERIENCED AS THAT THE WALL WAS COMING DOWN AS THE EAST WAS OPEN UP, SO REFORGERED, KIND OF WAS SOMETHING THAT KIND OF FALLEN TO THE BACKSIDE. BUT IN ITS DAY, IT WAS A BIG DEAL. IT WAS A BIG, MASSIVE MILITARY MOVEMENT, BECAUSE THAT’S WHERE WE THOUGHT THE NEXT CONFLICT WAS GOING TO BE. I THINK THIS IS A GREAT IDEA, BECAUSE THERE’S, YOU KNOW, ONLY SO MANY TROOPS THAT ARE GOING TO BE POSITIONED IN PACIFIC AIR FORCE AT ANY ONE TIME. SO IF YOU GET THIS KIND OF EXERCISE GOING WITH NOT ONLY THE TROOPS, THEY’RE GOING TO BE HEADED THERE, BUT ALSO YOUR ALLIES, AND HAVING THAT INTEROPERABILITY, THAT THAT YOU KNOW, EXPERIENCE OF WORKING TOGETHER, I THINK THAT’S A BIG DEAL. SO I THINK IT’S KIND OF A GREAT IDEA TO DESKTOP THIS CONCEPT AND BRING IT BACK AND MAKE IT NEW AGAIN, FOR WHAT LOOKS TO BE, YOU KNOW, WHEREVER THE NEXT AREA OF CONCERN IS FOR THE NATIONAL FOR OUR NATIONAL DEFENSE.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

YOU BET, YEAH, YOU KNOW, THE REPORT PACK IS OBVIOUSLY AN AIR FORCE EXERCISE. LATER ON IN AUGUST, THERE’S THE LARGE SCALE EXERCISE. IS WHAT THE NAVY AND MARINES CALL THEIR KIND OF LARGE SCALE EXERCISE, AND IT’S GOING TO BE A GLOBAL EVENT, AND DOING A LOT OF THE SAME THING THAT GOT AN EMAIL, DOING A LOT OF THE SAME THING THAT REFORM PACK IS DOING WITH AIR FORCE, BUT DOING IT WITH NAVAL AND MARINE FORCES, KIND OF WITH ALLIES ALL OVER THE GLOBE. SO YEAH, THE ANY ANY KIND OF INTEROPERABILITY EXERCISES THE US CAN DO AHEAD OF A POTENTIAL CONFLICT WITH CHINA JUST MAKES THINGS GO THAT MUCH SMOOTHER WHEN THE FECES HITS THE OSCILLATOR, AS MY DAD USED TO SAY. ALL RIGHT, BRETT, REALLY, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US ONCE AGAIN. AND I THINK THERE’S WHAT TWO YOU BETS OR THREE YOU BETS BY THE END OF IT,

[BRETT BAKER]

YEAH, I THINK YOU HAD A SECONDARY YOU BET? SO, YEAH, WE’LL JUST KEEP IT RUNNING TOTAL.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

ALL RIGHT, AND THEN AT THE END OF THE YEAR, I GUESS WE’LL DECIDE WHAT KIND OF CHARITY WE’LL DONATE ALL THAT MONEY, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. THANKS, BRETT.

[BRETT BAKER]

YOU BET.

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

ALL RIGHT, FOLKS, WE TALK A LOT ON THE SHOW ABOUT HOW TO GET RESUPPLY TO SOLDIERS, SAILORS, MARINES, ON THE TACTICAL EDGE. AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS BREAK. SO WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU’RE OUT ON AN ISLAND, MAYBE SOMEWHERE IN THE PACIFIC, AND HE NEEDS SOME MORE PARTS? AND YOU KNOW, ACE HARDWARE IS NOT EXACTLY DOWN THE STREET. WELL, JOINING ME NOW FOR OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK THIS WEEK IS BRUCE LEMASTER WITH OBSIDIAN SOLUTIONS GROUP, BRUCE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. SURE, RYAN, SO WE ARE TALKING ABOUT YOUR TRAILER THAT YOU HAVE SET UP HERE. IT’S ALL ABOUT GETTING RESUPPLY TO FOLKS AT THE TACTICAL EDGE WITH 3D AND ADAPTIVE PRINTING. WALK ME THROUGH IT.

[Bruce LeMaster. VP of MFG., Obsidian Solutions Group]

“So we hear this all the time, the folks on the front line, the expeditionary folks, they want the capability to print parts in theater, but no one to date has really come up with definitive answer of how that should happen. So we put together a concept. We’ve got a pop up tent here, essentially from HDT global. This is their x pop this. This unit breaks down into a small trailer size unit that can be carried by an osprey, taken right out to the front lines, dropped on site. We pop the top up here, pull out the front door, and we can put printers in here. In this situation, we brought two resin based printers, our zip Pro, our zip desktop printer, and then we’ve also added the FARO Arm, which is a reverse engineering inspection slash scanning device, so if something breaks in the field, we can reverse engineer it, enter it into our CAD data. Dump that CAD data to our printers. We can print the parts in theater, and within a few hours, we could have replacement handles, replacement fixtures, whatever is needed. On the polymer side of things, if we need metal, we can substitute one of these resin based printers. We can put a directed energy deposition type metal printer in here. So there are many options. We’re just trying to push the issue and say, Hey, we have options. Let’s get together and tell us what you really need on the front line. We can configure this and make it happen”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, BRUCE PALLETIZED OPTIONS IS SUCH A BIG THING, AND THAT SEEMS LIKE THIS IS ESSENTIALLY LIKE A PALLETIZED 3D PRINTER THAT YOU’RE PROVIDING THE MILITARY.

[Bruce LeMaster. VP of MFG., Obsidian Solutions Group]

“Yeah. So there are some options out there. Other folks are doing Conex boxes with big units. This is a much smaller unit, so more transportable. We can’t get the big powder bed based metal printers in here, but we can certainly do resin printers, extrusion based printers. We can do the directed energy deposition. So there are plenty of options here. We just we’re trying to force the issue and get them to commit and say, Yes, that’s what we need in the front line. We’ll configure it and we’ll put it out there.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

BRUCE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY. REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. APPRECIATE IT, ALL RIGHT, FOLKS, THAT’S GOING TO DO IT FOR US THIS WEEK ON WEAPONS AND WARFARE, FOR OUR WEAPON OF THE WEEK THAT WILL.

OVER THE PAST YEAR, WE’VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT AMERICA’S NEED FOR MORE SHIPBUILDING, AND THE NAVY’S GROWING LIST OF MAINTENANCE NEEDS ON THEIR CURRENT FLEET. SO IT’S ONLY FAIR TO RECOGNIZE POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN THAT ARENA AS WELL.

IT’S TIME FOR COMMS CHECK.

SAY HELLO TO THE U.S. NAVY’S NEWEST RIDE, THE USS PIERRE.

[NATS]

“Bottle smashes, crowd cheers.”

[RYAN ROBERTSON]

AT 418 FEET LONG, AND A PRICE TAG OF $600 MILLION, THE PIERRE IS THE LAST OF THE INDEPENDENCE-CLASS LITTORAL COMBAT SHIPS TO BE DELIVERED BY AUSTAL USA. THIS WRAPS UP A CONTROVERSIAL CHAPTER IN NAVAL SHIPBUILDING, AS THE LCS PROGRAM HAD ITS FAIR SHARE OF ISSUES.

ACCORDING TO A 2021 GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICE REPORT, SOME OF THOSE PROBLEMS INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO, DESIGN FLAWS, HULL CRACKS, AND PROPULSION PROBLEMS THAT SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECTED THE SHIPS’ READINESS.

WHILE THE INDEPENDENCE-CLASS LCSS WERE INTENDED TO BE VERSATILE ENOUGH TO HANDLE A VARIETY OF MISSIONS, HIGH MAINTENANCE COSTS AND A HEAVY RELIANCE ON OUTSIDE CONTRACTORS HAVE MADE THINGS CHALLENGING.

STILL, LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE LCS PROGRAM WILL DEFINITELY SHAPE THE NEW CONSTELLATION-CLASS FRIGATES COMING DOWN THE PIPELINE. SO, WHILE THE LCS HAS A BIT OF A MIXED LEGACY, IT’S A REMINDER OF BOTH AMBITIOUS GOALS AND THE BUMPS ALONG THE WAY.

SO WHAT’S NEXT FOR THE USS PIERRE? FOLLOWING COMMISSIONING LATER THIS FALL, THE SHIP WILL HEAD TO ITS NEW HOME IN SAN DIEGO, SUPPORTING FORWARD PRESENCE, MARITIME SECURITY, SEA CONTROL, AND DETERRENCE IN KEY OPERATIONAL THEATERS.

ALRIGHT ALRIGHT ALRIGHT…THAT’S GOING TO JUST ABOUT DO IT FOR US HERE AT WEAPONS AND WARFARE…THANKS FOR HITTING PLAY. NOW GO AHEAD AND LIKE OR SUBSCRIBE TO OUR SOCIAL FEEDS–AND SHARE OUR STORIES WITH YOUR FRIENDS.

OUR MISSION AT THE SHOW IS TO HELP AVERAGE CITIZENS UNDERSTAND WHY THEIR GOVERNMENT SPENDS SO MUCH ON NATIONAL DEFENSE–AND YOU CAN HELP US ACCOMPLISH THAT WITH JUST A FEW CLICKS.

FOR MY WRAP THIS WEEK… I GUESS MY THOUGHTS CAN BE SUMMED UP BEST WITH THE OLD SAYING…BETTER LATE THAN NEVER.

WHEN PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP WAS ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL BEFORE TAKING OFFICE AGAIN–HE OFTEN CRITICIZED HIS PREDECESSOR FOR ALLOWING THE WAR IN UKRAINE TO HAPPEN.

PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID THE WAR NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED ON HIS WATCH, BECAUSE PUTIN WOULD HAVE LISTENED TO TRUMP AND NOT INVADED.

DURING HIS FIRST FEW MONTHS IN OFFICE…PRESIDENT TRUMP AGAIN LEANED ON HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE RUSSIAN LEADER DURING NEGOTIATIONS–THINKING THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH TO STOP THE FIGHTING.

BUT IT WASN’T ENOUGH THEN AND IT’S NOT ENOUGH NOW. VLADIMIR PUTIN IS ON A MISSION TO REBUILD THE RUSSIAN EMPIRE–AND THERE DOESN’T SEEM TO BE ENOUGH DIPLOMACY IN THE WORLD TO APPEASE HIM.

AND IT SEEMS PRESIDENT TRUMP IS FINALLY COMING AROUND TO THAT TRUTH.

IF YOU’RE A FAN OF THE SHOW, YOU’VE HEARD ME SAY I THINK WE NEED TO HELP UKRAINE DEFEND ITSELF. YOU’VE HEARD ME BE CRITICAL OF THE CURRENT AND PAST ADMINISTRATIONS WHEN WEAPONS SHIPMENTS WERE INSUFFICIENT, SLOW, OR JUST OUTRIGHT CEASED.

NOW, I’M CELEBRATING THE WHITE HOUSE’S CURRENT STANCE ON THE RUSSIAN UKRAINE WAR. TRUMP IS SELLING WEAPONS AND AMMO TO UKRAINE–AND WASHINGTON SHORTENED THE WINDOW THAT MOSCOW HAS TO REACH A DEAL.

I’M NOT SURE WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THAT WINDOW CLOSES–BUT IF TRUMP’S HANDLING OF THE IRAN NEGOTIATIONS ARE ANY INDICATION–MOSCOW MAY WANT TO STRIKE A DEAL WHILE THERE’S STILL LEADERS LEFT TO DO SO.

BETTER LATE THAN NEVER.

FOR SENIOR PRODUCER BRETT BAKER, MOTION ARTIST DAKOTA PITEO, AND VIDEO EDITOR EMMA STOLTZFUS WHO IS HELPING US OUT THIS WEEK–

I’M RYAN ROBERTSON WITH STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS–SIGNING OFF.

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