WorldTekhno.com – The United States Air Force (USAF) is a branch of the United States Armed Forces. Originally part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a branch of the armed forces on September 18, 1947.
The USAF is the most modern air force in the world with more than 9,000 soldiers and 352,000 troops.
Not all warplanes in the United States are operated by the USAF.
The latest news is that the USAF is developing air combat tactics by adding a new device to its aircraft, namely the ALQ-167 Angry Kitten Electronic Warfare Countermeasures (ECM) pod.
General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. first tested this device during the flight of the MQ-9 Reaper drone on April 27, 2023.
Angry Kitten Pod supplied by Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI). The pod has also flown with other U.S. Department of Defense systems, including the F-16.
The USAF plans to continue flying the Angry Kitten pods over the next 12 to 24 months to develop best tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP) to improve EW capabilities in support of Joint Forces and partner nations, the company said.
The USAF’s 556th Test and Evaluation Squadron completed its first round of ground and flight testing of the MQ-9A Reaper with the Angry Kitten pod at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, April 10-28.
The ALQ-167 pod provides the MQ-9 with Electronic Assault (EA) capabilities against relevant ground and airborne threats.
This capability increases the survivability of the Reaper and other aircraft and can complicate adversary planning efforts, the USAF said.***
