Warplanes: <b>December 16, 1999</b>

December 16, 1999

NASA wants to use a Cold War D-21 supersonic recon drone to test the new Rocket-Based Combined Cycle (RBCC) engine. An RBCC engine could eventually power a two-stage-to-orbit craft that might replace the Space Shuttle. Such a two-stage-to-orbit vehicle is in direct competition with the X-33 Venture Star single-stage-to-orbit vehicle that uses aerospace rocket engines. Venture Star, however, is over budget and is facing mounting technical challenges; it may never work. The two-stage system would use a large aircraft carrying RBCC engines as the first stage. Since it does not have to carry oxidizer or climb rapidly, it could carry a bigger load to high altitude, where the second rocket-powered stage would carry the payload into orbit. An RBCC aircraft would use the rocket mode to take off and climb, but once a certain speed was attained would switch to ramjet mode. The ramjet would then push the aircraft to very high speed, at which point it would switch back to being a rocket. The D-21 was built using one engine from the SR-71 piloted recon plane. The drones were carried by B-52 bombers and launched near unfriendly territory (North Korea, North Vietnam, China), making high-speed photo recon runs during the 1960s. After exiting unfriendly territory, the drone would eject its film capsule (for pickup in midair by a C-130) before diving into the ocean. --Stephen V Cole

The US and Australia have agreed to an ambitious plan for the Global Hawk long-range recon drone (which recently completed test flights to Alaska and back). The drone would be flown across the Pacific in April 2001, landing in Adelaide, southeastern Australia. Once there, it would fly a dozen missions over six weeks, demonstrating its effectiveness and capabilities. The Australians are concerned over the huge expanse of northern deserts, coastlines, and adjoining oceans. They simply do not have the military forces to patrol such a vast area, and it has been used by illegal aliens, drug dealers, and smugglers. --Stephen V Cole

Boeing delivered to the Air Force the first six nuclear cruise missiles converted to conventional warheads. Boeing has a contract to convert 322 such missiles, of which the last 50 will have special warheads to penetrate hardened targets. The Air Force has recently decided that these will be the Lockheed Martin design (Advanced Unitary Penetrator) rather than the British-built Broach multi-stage warhead. The British are crying foul, claiming that the US will never accept a European weapon even if it is better, but the Air Force insists that the AUP weapon better meets its needs.--Stephen V Cole

Northrop Grumman has settled its billing dispute over the E-8 JSTARS recon plane. It will accept $80 million from the government for disputed contract items; it has been asking for $200 million.--Stephen V Cole

The US Navy has, for the first time, used a SLAMER missile in anger. (SLAMER is the Stand-off Land Attack Missile - Expanded Response.) The missile, fired by an F-18 flying from the carrier John F Kennedy, was targeted on an Iraqi air defense site in the Southern No Fly Zone.--Stephen V Cole