Edwards AirForce Base is and will be testing the most weapons since the 1960s. There are upgrades to most of the old planes, new versions and new weapons.
The B-21 Raider bomber.
Five dedicated T-7A test aircraft that will be put through its paces over the next two years.
Eight or more B-52 aircraft will evaluate new radar, engines, weapons, and a series of navigation and communications upgrades.
RTX, aka Raytheon, has delivered its first Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar system for the US Air Force’s B-52 Stratofortress bomber fleet.
76 Cold War-era B-52 Stratofortresses will later be getting new F130 engines.
The X-62A, a highly modified F-16 that will test autonomy functions. The X-62A will be able to fly without human pilots.
The new F-15EX fighter. The F-15EX has Advanced Electronically Scanned Array radar technology as well as advanced high-speed computing. It can carry more missiles unlike stealth fighters that carry missiles internally. It has new engines and will be able to carry large hypersonic missiles externally. There is room for 22 AIM-120D missiles. The F-15EX is the missile truck that the USAF has been wanting for thirty years.
Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCAs), intended to be autonomous or semi-autonomous partners for crewed fighters.
The AIM-260 Joint Advanced Tactical Missile, the next-generation, long-range dogfight missile for Air Force fighters.
The Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, a super-stealthy fighter to succeed the F-22.
The F-35 and its Block 4 upgrades, as well as a new version of its F135 engine.
The Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile, an air-breathing, Mach 5-plus weapon.
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Maybe I should take a drive out one weekend and hang around and do some plane spotting. Would love a glimpse of the NGAD.