🔷 Open Viper

Open Viper

The Air National Guard Air Force Reserve Command Test Center (AATC) has developed and flight-tested an open systems enclave (OSE) on the F-16, giving the venerable Viper quite the innovative tech upgrade.

What

OSE is a segregated onboard computing environment—like a digital sandbox—that hosts and runs software independently from the jet’s core flight and mission systems.

So What

Splitting the computing environment with an enclave essentially “jailbreaks” the F-16—safely—by creating a plug-and-play environment for third-party apps, sensors, and mission tools.

And that’s where the innovation is.

That means things like over-the-air mission plan updates, targeting tools, and AI agents can be deployed rapidly onto the Viper without waiting for OEM-sanctioned updates or extensive flight and regression testing and certification cycles.

AATC validated OSE by dynamically retargeting a JASSM stealth cruise missile from the cockpit—a serious flex when considering this previously had to be done on the ground in pre-mission planning.

The 80/20 Unit

AATC rarely makes headlines, but its impact is outsized—delivering combat-ready capabilities through a unique model of innovation through constraints.

Its mantra: “80% solutions at 20% of the cost.”

What’s Next

AATC is extending the OSE concept to the F-15EX in 2025 and the F-35 in 2026, potentially giving the Pentagon a path to out-iterate near-peer threats without waiting on long OEM cycles.

If done right, this could shift how we think about upgrades—from platform-driven to software-driven.

The future fight demands speed, and AATC is quietly proving that the Guard might just lead the charge.

In that Number

83%

A recent study found that 83% of F-35 fighter pilots reported a negative impact on flight performance due to back and neck pain—much of it linked to heavy helmet-mounted equipment and flight maneuvers.

TRIVIA

On this day in 1934, the Army Air Corps was tapped to take over the delivery of air mail from commercial companies. What did this become known as?

A) The Star Route Scandal
B) The Air Mail Fiasco
C) Barnstorming

On the Radar

GCAP on contract. The 6th-gen fighter Global Combat Air Program (GCAP) is expected to award contracts by the end of the year. The program is a joint effort between the UK’s BAE, Italy’s Leonardo, and Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries that is working through workshare and program structure.

• The Merge’s Take: If the contract lands, sticks, and work gets traction without too many technical or political headaches, GCAP has a shot at being in operation. Will it fly a demonstrator aircraft in 2027, and have production aircraft in operation in 2035? Slim chance.

India’s 5th-gen. India approved the development program for a 5th-gen Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), a twin-engine stealth fighter.

• The Merge’s Take: This has been in concept and R&D since 2009, but has another decade or so until it's operational. The ~120-jet program will have 2 engine configs—Mk1 with GE F414 engines and Mk2 with indigenous engines—as the country continues to push for enhancing indigenous defense capabilities.

Commercial, baby. The Pentagon released a memo clarifying guidance from the executive order issued to federal agencies last month on the preference for commercial items vs paying companies to develop solutions that already may exist in the market.

• The Merge’s Take: The way this reads, contracting is about to get flipped on its head. Pentagon solicitations above $250k will have to submit a package for approval stating that what they want to spend money on is not a commercial item or service. i.e., Commercial preference is about to be commercial by default. Making the admin burden on proving absence is a PowerPoint Ranger tab level—work takes the path of least resistance. Keep an eye on how this settles once the June review is complete.

They Said It

“We could make the F-35 pilot-optional over a relatively modest time frame based on a lot of the development we’ve done.”

— Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet

Knowledge Bombs

• Hermeus completed its first Quarterhorse Mk 1 flight, advancing the startup’s hypersonic jet development

• Google's Gemini is now cleared at the Top Secret level

• Hanwha was awarded a $40M contract to develop a next-gen radar for South Korea’s upcoming long-range air defense missile system (L-SAM II)

• General Atomics was awarded a $99M AFRL contract to develop a long-range ISR drone

• Motorola acquired Silvus Technologies in a $4.4B deal

• Rocket Lab acquired satellite payload maker Geost for $275m

• The UK military conducted its largest ever multi-domain AI trial

• The Army launched a program to put ramjet propulsion on Stinger missiles for extended range

• Lockheed Martin acquired Amentum’s ISR division in a $360M deal

• Northrop Grumman is investing $50M into Firefly Aerospace to develop a medium-lift launch vehicle

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ANSWER
B) The Air Mail Fiasco was a ~3-month period when commercial airline mail contracts were revoked due to a scandal, and the Army filled in. It did NOT go well. After 13 deaths and 66 crashes, the Army operation was suspended and soon returned to commercial airlines.