Col. Justin Bronder, head of SOCOM’s Program Executive Office for Fixed Wing (PEO-FW), discussed the integration of the radar together with the AGM-190A on the AC-130J earlier today. Bronder spoke to TWZ and other outlets alongside other SOCOM acquisition officials at a roundtable on the sidelines of the annual SOF Week conference.
A US Air Force AC-130J Ghostrider gunship. USAF
AGM-190A is the formal U.S. military designation for the SCM, developed by Leidos, originally under the name Black Arrow. It has now also emerged that SOCOM refers to the missile by the nickname Havoc Spear. With a demonstrated range of at least 400 miles, the missile has far greater reach than any of the other missiles and precision bombs that the AC-130J is known to be able to employ now by a huge margin. The Ghostrider’s current armament package, which also includes a 30mm automatic cannon and a 105mm howitzer, is focused on close air support and interdiction missions against targets at much closer ranges.
“A lot going on in that space,” Col. Bronder said today. “Our unique teaming with Leidos, that started with a CRADA [Cooperative Research and Development Agreement], that accelerated through an express development program on the now called AGM-190 Havoc Spear affordable cruise missile.”
A CRADA is a non-traditional research and development mechanism through which elements of the U.S. military can pool resources with private companies and other organizations. These agreements allow the parties involved to pursue mutually beneficial work, but without a typical contract or even money necessarily changing hands.
“That program [the AGM-190] has really been moving along quite, quite quickly,” Bronder continued. “We’re looking at ways to kind of accelerate fielding of that weapon in the not too distant future with close teaming with AFSOC [Air Force Special Operations Command] partners to really collapse that development and operational test timeline. So, real big acquisition success there.”
Leidos completes successful test launch of a Small Cruise Missile
“We have tech demonstrations with the AESA radar and the small cruise missile that we’re now looking to see how we can augment and accelerate fielding those types of capabilities for the SOF [special operations forces] fleet,” Bronder added.
“CRADAs produced the AGM-190A Havoc Spear small cruise missile that offers an affordable mass solution with significant range to our service partners,” U.S. Navy Adm. Frank Bradley, head of SOCOM, also said separately during his keynote address at the SOF Week conference earlier today. “Integrated with the AESA radar on the AC-130 gunship, [it is] a formidable capability.”
SOCOM’s proposed budget for the 2027 Fiscal Year, released last month, had hinted at plans to demonstrate the new combination of capabilities for the AC-130J in the next year or so. The command is asking for nearly $5.9 million to support work on the so-called Precision Strike Package (PSP) for the AC-130J. PSP is the overarching system through which all weapons and associated sensors are integrated onto the Ghostrider.
The new funding “is required to integrate AESA radar capabilities into the PSP,” according to SOCOM’s budget documents. The planned work “includes software and hardware development to incorporate the AESA functionality into the Battle Management System and other associated AC-130J systems.”
“AFSOC is exploring the development and use of the AESA Radar on the AC-130J as the command continues to operate as both the SOF component to the Air Force and air component to USSOCOM,” AFSOC told TWZ when asked for an update in August 2025. “We cannot discuss the type of radar due to operational security.”
The APG-83 does remain a very plausible choice. The Air Force has already been in the process of integrating this radar onto a significant portion of its fleets of F-16C/D Viper fighters for years now. Beyond its target detection and tracking capabilities, the AN/APG-83 has a synthetic aperture mapping mode and is capable of producing ground moving target indicator data. Also referred to as SAR mapping, this mode allows SABR to produce high-resolution radar imagery. GMTI tracks can be overlaid on those images. All of this, in turn, can be used for target acquisition and identification purposes, as well as general reconnaissance.
A generic example of GMTI tracks overlaid on top of a SAR image. Public Domain
There are other AESA radars on the market, as well, including a growing number of compact designs. Radars of this type, in general, can spot objects of interest, even ones with smaller radar cross-sections, faster and do so with greater precision and fidelity compared to older mechanically-scanned models. They can also just scan faster and perform multiple functions near-simultaneously, and do so with improved resistance to radiofrequency jamming and far greater reliability.
As mentioned, TWZ has long pointed out that the addition of an AESA radar would be a huge upgrade for the AC-130J’s ability to spot, track, and engage targets at extended ranges, even in bad weather. The radar would be able to provide real-time midcourse updates to a stand-off weapon if it had a data link capability. This would make engaging moving targets possible if the missile also had a terminal seeker capable of doing so.
Overall, the capability boosts the AESA radar offers are especially important when paired with new, longer-range strike munitions like the AGM-190A. The radar could also help improve the Ghostrider’s effectiveness when employing other shorter-range munitions, including GBU-39/B Small Diameter Bombs (SDB) now and GBU-53/B StormBreakers (also known as SDB IIs) in the future.
An AGM-190A seen being test-launched from the rear ramp of an AC-130J. Leidos
AESA radars will also expand the AC-130J’s general surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, as well as provide improved general situational awareness.
This is all reflected in SOCOM’s budget documents, which state: “AESA radar enhances the AC-130J’s situational awareness, precision targeting, and survivability while replacing phased-out legacy radars, enabling the Gunship to close Joint Force kill webs and expand its role in support of USINDOPACOM [U.S. Indo-Pacific Command] and Western Hemisphere operations.”
The mention here of the Indo-Pacific region underscores broader questions about future operational relevance that have been facing the AC-130 fleet in recent years. The Ghostrider and its immediate predecessors were workhorses during the Global War on Terror era, flying heavily over countries like Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria. Even so, they flew almost exclusively under the cover of darkness to help reduce vulnerability to ground fire.
The integration of a new stand-off strike capability paired with an AESA radar is one way for the AC-130J to respond to this evolving threat ecosystem. It could also open the door to other new capabilities for the Ghostrider, as well as other AFSOC aircraft like the OA-1K Skyraider II light attack plane. Similar questions about future relevance have been raised about the OA-1K, a design that is also primarily geared toward counter-terrorism missions and other low-intensity conflicts.
The AC-130J fleet is also in the process of receiving a number of other upgrades, including improvements to its defense countermeasures suite.
It is very possible that the AGM-190A could find its way out of the special operations community and into more widespread U.S. military use. The Air Force is currently planning to buy nearly 28,000 low-cost strike munitions over the next five years through its Family of Affordable Mass Missiles (FAMM) program.
“We’re also continuing to talk to the Air Force about what they’re doing with their Family of Affordable Mass Munitions [sic]” to see “if there’s some continued interplay there for us to do a service-to-SOF or SOF-to-service transition,” Col. Bronder said today.
Last week, the Pentagon also rolled out a plan to acquire at least 10,000 lower-cost cruise missiles, primarily for surface-launched applications from containerized launchers, in the next three years. Leidos is among the companies now involved in this Low-Cost Containerized Missiles (LCCM) program, and is developing a derivative of the AGM-190A to meet those requirements.
A rendering of the AGM-190A-derived missile Leidos is now developing under the Low-Cost Containerized Missiles (LCCM) program. Leidos
For the AC-130J, a full-up demonstration of the pair of an AESA radar and the AGM-190A cruise missile will mark another step toward giving the gunships a valuable, if not increasingly essential, boost in capability.
Helen Flanagan thrilled fans as she posed in this plunging white dressCredit: InstagramThe sexy star seductively ate a strawberry in her summer-inspired photoshootCredit: Instagram
After the big move, Helen is now keen to start a fresh chapter in her life.
To celebrate this new start, the sexy star thrilled fans by sharing an Instagram video of herself posing in a plunging white dress.
Posting the summer-inspired clip online, Helen was seen frolicking on a picnic blanket on the grass.
The actress pulled various poses to show off all her best angles.
A friend of Helen’s said at the time: “Scott pays for the house and all the bills and he’s decided a six-bedroom place is way too big for Helen on her own with the kids.
“But Helen doesn’t want to move and is digging her heels in.
“She loves the place, the kids are settled at the local school and her mum and dad live around the corner.
“Scott wants to buy Helen a four-bedroom home. He’s even offered to put it in her name but wants to stop the maintenance payments.
As the promise of better weather gets us all anticipating some sunshine, it’s a great time to plan a trip to the beach. Here are five stunning sandy spots in the UK that’ll make you feel like you’re abroad
You can find white sand beaches right here in the UK(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Nothing beats a day at the beach when the weather is warm, and with 27C temperatures potentially hitting the UK at the end of May, many of us will be planning a jaunt to the seaside.
The UK has many beautiful beaches, some of which wouldn’t look out of place in the Caribbean or the Med. And if you want to avoid the hassle of finding a parking space on a busy bank holiday, there are lots of beaches that are easy to reach by train, so you can enjoy a more relaxed day out.
Here are five beaches that could make for the perfect staycation trip once the weather gets warmer.
1. Nairn Beach
Set in the Scottish Highlands, Nairn Beach gets more sunshine than any other beach in the area thanks to its microclimate. While the west side of the beach has more traditional seaside vibes with fish and chip shops and ice cream stalls, head east and there are soft sand dunes, light sands, and turquoise seas.
To add to the Caribbean vibes, you can sometimes spot a colony of Bottlenose Dolphins just off the coast, so be sure to bring binoculars. Nairn Beach is about a 15-minute walk from Nairn’s train station, which connects with Inverness, so despite its unspoilt coast, it’s easy to reach.
2. Herne Bay
Herne Bay in Kent is a classic seaside town with Victorian landmarks, and along the coast you’ll find the ruins of Reculver Towers offering stunning views across the water. The beach has calm, shallow waters, ideal for taking a dip, and you may spot some mussel beds under the surface.
The beach is sand and shingle, giving it a rugged, unspoiled vibe, and at the heart of it all is the Victorian pier, where you’ll find amusements, fish and chip shops, and funfair rides. You can reach Herne Bay by train from London Victoria, with the journey taking just over 90-minutes and the station less than a mile from the beach.
3. Bridlington South beach
If you like your beaches a little more secluded, head to Bridlington South Beach in Yorkshire. Overlooking Bridlington Bay, it has warm, calm waters, dog-friendly sections, and areas for kids to paddle. Walk along the promenade or jump on the land train to enjoy the clifftop views while you chug along.
You can find both bustling and quiet stretches along this long, golden sand beach, and Bridlington’s train station is just a short walk from the northern tip. Services run regularly from York and enjoy views across the countryside as you head towards this coastal retreat.
4. Porthmeor Beach
Porthmeor Beach in St. Ives in Cornwall brings a little bit of the Caribbean to the West Country, offering light golden sands and Atlantic surf protected by rocky headlands. It’s incredibly popular in the summer months, thanks to its surf school and general family-friendly vibes. If the sun gets too hot, you can even head into the cool atmosphere of Tate St Ives, a gallery just steps from the beach. Visit later in the day and enjoy the west-facing unobstructed views of the Atlantic that make this a popular spot for watching the sunset.
You’ll find the beach just a 15-minute walk from St Ives train station, where the railway line runs along the coast, connecting with St Erth, where you’ll find direct trains to London.
Troon Beach in Scotland is set around a crescent-shaped bay, making the waters shallow, calm, and perfect for paddling. You can even see the Isle of Arran just across the water on clear days, and if you wait until sunset, you’ll see the sun disappear behind the island. While the beach has golden sands and soft green sand dunes, it also has a rugged feel, and incredible views of the Firth of Clyde.
At one end of the beach, you’ll find the famous Royal Troon Golf Club, and as you wander along the coast, you’ll spot a wide variety of wildlife, including seabirds, waders, and even seals swimming close to shore. The sands are less than 10-minutes from the train station, which has regular services to Glasgow Central, making it a well-connected seaside escape.
Have a story you want to share? Email us at webtravel@reachplc.com
REALITY TV star Kylie Jenner buckles up – in a double belted mini skirt from her KHY fashion brand.
The 28-year-old posed in a stone coloured denim number from her Born in LA range.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Kylie Jenner showed off her curves in a double belted mini skirt from her KHY fashion brandCredit: instagram/kyliejennerKylie also stunned as she posed in a double denim lookCredit: instagram/kyliejenner
She said: “It’s inspired, designed, and almost all made here in Los Angeles
JENNIFER Ellison looked incredible in a series of sexy photos celebrating her wedding anniversary.
The actress and former glamour model, 42, has been with her beau Rob for 18 years.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Jennifer Ellison looked gorgeous on an anniversary getaway with her husband RobCredit: InstagramShe stripped down to a bikini and snapped some stunning selfiesCredit: InstagramThe couple have been together for 18 yearsCredit: Instagram/Jenniferellisonjellistudios
In commemoration of the special day Jennifer shared a series of snaps on her Instagram page, dressed to impress at the five-star Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland.
In the first snap Jennifer is wearing a sexy black strapless bodycon dress that falls at the knee.
It hugs her figure perfectly, accentuating her curves and snatching in her tiny waist.
She finished off the look by adding a pair of stiletto heels and curling loose waves through her long, blonde hair.
Another snap shows Jennifer posing in a brown and white bikini while taking a mirror selfie in a hotel.
It features geometric patterns and high-rise bottoms, flaunting her flat stomach.
Later photos feature her and Rob posing by a mirror, both dressed smartly to enjoy a round of drinks.
Jennifer wore a black blazer and matching dress trousers, paired with large dark sunglasses and a matching black bag with gold accent details.
Rob popped the question to Jennifer while they were on holiday in the Maldives in 2008Credit: Instagram/JenniferellisonjellistudiosThey enjoyed some celebratory drinks togetherCredit: Instagram/Jenniferellisonjellistudios
Meanwhile husband Rob opted for a smart navy shirt, smart trousers and a chunky watch.
Penned in the post’s caption, Jennifer gushed all about her man, saying: “18 years of me and you. Had the most gorgeous 2 nights away, from start to finish!
“Thank you for everything you have given me @tickle.rob Love doing life with you!
“My best mate, my husband, my partner in work and crime my everything. For as both as we long shall live.”
Jennifer finished the caption off by thanking a loved one for taking care of her sons while she was away with Rob.
Fans of the star left their love in the post’s comments section, wishing the couple all the best for their anniversary.
One user said: “Happy anniversary guys,” followed by a stream of red love heart emojis.
A second shared: “Such a beautiful couple.”
A third added: “Beautiful Jen, happy anniversary to you both.”
Jennifer and Rob tied the knot in October 2009 after only a year of dating.
Rob popped the big question in May of 2008 while him and Jennifer were on a trip to the Maldives.
Actress Jennifer played the role of Emily Shadwick in Liverpool-set soap Brookside between 1998 to 2000 before going on to play a supporting character in Phantom Of The Opera in 2004.
Today Jennifer mostly stays out of the spotlight, instead running her own dance studio Jelli Studios.
She prepares students who are interested in getting into the industry of dancing or musical theatre.
Jennifer also made a TV appearance in 2022 where she starred on CelebritySAS: Who Dares wins.
Jennifer and Rob took in the beautiful scenery of Scotland during their two nights awayCredit: Instagram/Jenniferellisonjellistudios
Weekly insights and analysis on the latest developments in military technology, strategy, and foreign policy.
L3Harris is pushing its modular Wolf Pack family of “launched effects vehicles” for the U.S. Army, including to equip its H-60 Black Hawk series and AH-64 Apache helicopters, with an eye on the specific demands of a future conflict in the Pacific. The family of vehicles includes the Red Wolf, configured for long-range precision strikes against targets on land or at sea, and the Green Wolf fitted with an electronic warfare payload. Overall, these are part of a wider drive toward fielding modular, relatively cheap, and small systems that increasingly blur the line between uncrewed aerial systems, especially longer-range kamikaze drones, and cruise missiles, as well as decoys.
Readers can refer to our previous coverage of the Wolf Pack family, and it is also worth noting that the company is under contract with the U.S. Marine Corps to deliver the related PASM, the Precision Attack Strike Munition.
At the Army Aviation Association of America’s Army Aviation Warfighting Summit in Nashville, Tennessee, this week, TWZ caught up with Brad Reeves, the director of strategy and requirements for the Agile Development Group at L3Harris, to talk about the company’s vision for the Wolf family with the Army.
A rendering of the Red Wolf launched effects vehicle. L3Harris L3Harris
TWZ: What is the primary driver behind the Wolf family, and how is it relevant to the Army’s rotary-wing fleets?
Brad Reeves: The Department of War has a heavy emphasis on the Pacific and a conflict over there. Mass is an issue. We have a lot of exquisite weapons today, but the numbers are not maybe as high as we might hope for a conflict over there. So, they’re trying to solve that problem. Affordable mass has kind of become the buzzword, which basically means, “hey, how do we get capability that we can buy in quantity without breaking the bank?” And so, with that, the Department of War, actually Secretary Hegseth, issued a memo on April 30 of last year. And one of the things he called out specifically was launched effects, the urgency to get that fielded beginning this year. So, that’s a high-emphasis item for those guys.
A U.S. Army UH-60M Black Hawk. U.S. Air Force photo
Launched effects are really meant to be an affordable mass solution for the Army. But the real story behind this is what we call our Wolf Pack family of systems, and our offering and the capability it brings. And the story here is it’s very capable, but it’s what it does for the Army and for Army aviation. So it’s transforming Army aviation, and it’s addressing platforms that lack some relevancy today in the fight. Black Hawks, Apaches, etc, have a very short-range capability, relatively speaking, when you’re talking about the Pacific, and you have the tyranny of distance and anti-access/area-denial threats. It’s a much harder challenge than what we’ve dealt with in the decades since those aircraft were first invented.
Now we’re basically bringing relevancy to those platforms. We’re transforming from a weapons-effectiveness range and lethality range of single-digit kilometers, maybe up to a dozen kilometers, and we’re now extending that to hundreds of kilometers. We’re taking what before was a single-mission aircraft that’s supporting the Army; it’s doing close combat attack missions for Army soldiers on the ground, and is basically specific to that single service. And we’re now expanding that, and we’re giving that platform a joint or coalition viability in a Pacific flight. And so, the relevance now has increased. We’re taking what was before, a single-domain, fully land-based capability. We’re turning it into multi-domain, so now surface, meaning maritime, and land. And then we’re taking the target sets, which were traditionally tanks, maybe threats that we get from ground forces, etc. Again, we’re expanding that so it can be maritime threats and ground threats. It’s kind of a revolution in the way that the Army is going to fight and what they’re going to contribute to the joint coalition force. The Army desperately needs this capability.
A U.S. Army AH-64D Apache fires a Hellfire missile during training. The basic Hellfire has an operational range of anywhere between four and just under seven miles (seven to 11 kilometers). U.S. Army photo by Spc. Dean John Kd De Dios
TWZ: And what are the differences between the Wolf Pack family members?
Brad Reeves: Our launched effects offering, we call it the Wolf Pack family of systems. Today, we have two high-level mission capability variants. We have the Red Wolf, which is the kinetic variant, so a cruise missile. We have the Green Wolf, which has a purely (non-kinetic) electronic warfare payload. So now you’re also doing suppression of enemy air defenses. These types of missions, the DILR mission — detect, ID, locate, report — and/or electronic attack to suppress this threat.
Wolf Pack is designed to have multiple variants, so one aircraft, let’s say an Apache in this instance, you could launch multiple variants, Green and Red. You have a Green Wolf that goes out ahead and is searching and building the EMBM, the electromagnetic battle management. Through some software we call DISCO, which is AI-driven software, it’s building the landscape where the threats are, whether on the surface or on the land.
The wait is over.
Introducing Red Wolf ᵀᴹ and Green Wolf ᵀᴹ, the first vehicles in our expanding pack of launched effects systems. pic.twitter.com/d4oG7fgeE4
Brad Reeves: It comes out of our Wolf Pack family. It’s a unique variant designed for the U.S. Marine Corps AH-1Z Viper, and we’re delivering early operational capability. They did a long-range precision fire, LRPF, last September, and that was somewhat of a graduation event. Now we’re basically starting to work with production at our plant in Virginia.
In February 2025, NAVAIR released this image of a Red Wolf-toting AH-1Z, at which time the munitions were identified only as “a new Long Range Precision Fire (LRPF) capability.” U.S. Navy
TWZ: So these are basically loitering munitions?
Brad Reeves: We don’t consider it a loitering munition, but technically, by definition, yes, what it’s doing is it’s flying a pattern. It’s very smart: it goes out, starts detecting threats, then it will set up a pattern to make sure that a) it’s survivable itself, so it doesn’t fly over a threat and get shot down. But b), it will maximize the search pattern, and then it will deconflict with the others in the pack, so that you can, if you have a large area, you can have one, one will say, “hey, I’m going to go do maybe a zigzag pattern over here looking for threats. You go do a zigzag pattern and then report those back.” Once they find the threats, they’ve got options. Either the aircraft can just avoid the threats because they know where they are, or if they need to go through them, then you can either use electronic attack to jam them, or you can send a signal to one of the kinetic variants. Then the kinetic variant does the destruction of enemy air defenses mission.
That’s kind of why we call it the Wolf Pack: working together collaboratively in a pack to perform a mission that’s assigned by the pilot, and they do that autonomously. They have been ground-launched. They have been air-launched from both manned and unmanned platforms, and they can be launched from rotary-wing or fixed-wing. Since we’re here with the Army, the target is Black Hawks and Apaches very specifically.
In the past, L3Harris has also highlighted the potential benefits of pairing its Red Wolf miniature cruise missile with the U.S. Air Force’s OA-1K Skyraider II. L3Harris
TWZ: Would you say that the Wolf Pack is oriented generally towards the SEAD/DEAD mission?
Brad Reeves: It is much broader. But certainly one of the main applications is SEAD/DEAD. With the EW variant, that’s really applicable when you’re doing SEAD/DEAD, or you’re just looking for platform survivability, meaning you’re going towards a mission, but you want to maybe send something out ahead. These fly at high subsonic speeds. They’re going out ahead when launched from a helicopter. They’re scouting out the area, giving them the picture, and allowing them to either avoid, suppress, or defeat threats that may be in their way.
A graphic depicting a notional ground mission scenario involving the employment of Red Wolf and Green Wolf launched effects vehicles. L3Harris
TWZ: Presumably, the cost point of these means the numbers can be fairly scalable, depending on the requirement?
Brad Reeves: Absolutely, it depends on the mission set. One of the advantages is that, while it is an affordable mass munition, it also comes with significant capability. There are some, what I would call differentiators, that put this capability at the high end of the affordable mass, meaning it’s very inexpensive compared to traditional legacy weapons that the forces are using today. We usually say it’s about five times cheaper than what these aircraft would be using today. There are BAAs, broad area announcements, something the U.S. government will release to industry, asking for different capabilities. Right now, when they’re asking for this type of capability, they’re usually targeting somewhere between $300,000 to $500,000 for that market, per round, and we’re certainly in that sweet spot.
TWZ: Aside from the small turbine engine that they share, how modular are the Wolf Pack vehicles themselves?
Brad Reeves: Some people call it a truck, but for some reason, that offends me. But you’ve got the platform, and we’ve designed it modularly with what’s called WOSA, weapon open systems architecture. And so you can interchange the payload. You can take the platform, you can put a warhead in it, and it becomes kinetic. You can take the warhead out, you can put an EW payload in it. I’m oversimplifying a little bit because with the kinetic variant, there are sensors and other stuff. So you probably wouldn’t physically take a kinetic one and swap out the warhead for an EW payload.
Side-by-side renderings of the Red Wolf and Green Wolf, showing them to be functionally identical, at least externally. L3Harris
TWZ: When it comes to Green Wolf, which has no warhead, is this designed to be expendable or recoverable?
Brad Reeves: We have both. We have a recoverable variant. It depends on what the customer wants. In some instances, they want recoverability. And with recoverability, you lose a little bit of range. So in some instances, it’s going to be on a one-way mission; they just want maximum range. Basically, the parachute equipment we use to recover it takes up a little bit of space that otherwise would be fuel tank space.
The Deceptor small-form-factor software-defined radio frequency (RF) electronic warfare (EW) payload from L3Harris. In its promotional material, the company has indicated that this is a potential payload for the Green Wolf. L3Harris
TWZ: How do these vehicles navigate?
Brad Reeves: It has the standard inertial navigation and GPS. It has those capabilities inside of it, and then the seeker effectively is used purely for in-game targeting.
TWZ: To what degree would you be able to surge production to meet urgent demands?
Brad Reeves: We gave our manufacturing team the problem and said, “Hey, multiple customers are asking for as many as a thousand per year. We expect this to really blow up. How do we know how big a plant to build? How do we know what we can do?” And so they actually designed a modular, scalable production plan. In theory, you can scale up to as many as you want. But right now, what we’re doing is we’re scaling towards a thousand a year, which is the current path, and then if the demand signal spikes, we have the ability to scale above that.
The beauty of this vehicle is that there’s a lot as a significant amount of commonality, which does allow us to scale, and also gives us economies of scale, price, etc.
Meet the “Wolf Pack”
TWZ: Where are you now with testing?
Brad Reeves: We’ve flown over 50 times in test events with the military. So we’ve done multiple services. We’ve done formal testing with those services. It’s been launched twice off the AH-1Z. We’ve launched off fixed-wing UAS, but this gets a little sensitive with the customers, as to what those platforms are. And we’ve done ground launch.
TWZ: Do you have a pathway toward testing on the Black Hawk and Apache?
Brad Reeves: I am very passionate about making sure this gets fielded to U.S. Army soldiers, specifically the Apache and the Black Hawk. Right now, we’ve obviously got Epic Fury. But if something lights off in the Pacific, this just pales in comparison. If I were young enough to be flying in that fight, I would want more capability. And so I am a little bit of a zealot. The U.S. Army, I know, has to have this capability, and I believe they want it. It’s going to be a game-changer for them, and it’s going to be important to the joint force and coalition forces. It is a significant transformational capability.
BRITS love an all-inclusive from the packed buffets to drinks offerings and having everything at your fingertips.
The tough part is actually exactly which all-inclusive you want to try and if it’s worth the money, well if that’s what you’re after, then this one on the Costa del Sol is top notch.
Sign up for the Travel newsletter
Thank you!
Inside the Ikos Andalusia are 9 restaurants and 8 barsCredit: Ouzo is the hotel’s Greek restaurant with shell decor on the ceilingCredit:
Follow The Sun’s award-winning travel team on Instagram and Tiktok for top holiday tips and inspiration@thesuntravel.
Called Ikos Andalusia, the hotel has claimed number one spot on Time Out’s 2026 list of Europe’s top all-inclusive stays.
The resort has a whopping 451 rooms with nine swimming pools.
Expect great grub at the hotel’s nine restaurants, some of which even have Michelin-starred menus.
Each serves up dishes from around the world, like traditional Spanish to Greek, French, Italian and Japanese food.
There’s also a classic all-inclusive buffet style restaurant, so you can’t go wrong.
They’re beautifully decorated too. Ouzo, which is its Greek restaurant, has little white pots on the ceiling and prints on the walls with views across the pool to the sea.
Chiringuito is another restaurant right on the beach and serves up traditional tapas and lots of seafood.
As for bars, there are eight including a cocktail bar and one at the side of the pool – it has an extensive wine list with over 100 local labels.
The hotel is even sat on a 420-metre beach with an adults-only section.
Other facilities include a splash pad area for younger children, football, basketball, volleyball, cycling, tennis courts and watersports.
There’s plenty for children to do at the kids’ club which is catered for children between 4-17.
The complimentary Heroes Crèche for children 6 months to three years old holds activities like games, face painting, art and dance.
There’s also Heroes Kids Club (4-11 years) and Just4Teens (12-17 years) which has lots of activities on offer from arts and crafts to sports.
There’s even a complimentary 30-minute beach childcare service for kids from four years old.
Activities for adults include wellness sessions and various fitness activities from yoga to Pilates and Zumba.
For more holidays, here are some of our favourites in Spain…
*If you click on a link in this box, we will earn affiliate revenue.
Hotel Best Punta Dorada, Salou
The Spanish resort is a popular destination near PortAventura World, a theme park with over 40 attractions and huge rollercoasters. It’s also close to sandy beaches like Platja de Llevant, and the scenic Camí de Ronda coastal walk.The hotel itself has an outdoor swimming pool to enjoy, as well as two bars along with evening entertainment and shows.
With its palm tree-lined pool and Mediterranean backdrop, it’s a miracle this Majorca resort is so affordable. Expect a classic family holiday feel – where days revolve around soaking up the Spanish sunshine, chilling by the spacious pool and sipping on frozen cocktails. Set away from the busier resorts, it’s a good option if you’re after a more out-of-the-way escape.
The Magic Aqua Rock Gardens Hotel is African-themed and less than a mile from the beach. It has two outdoor pools, including a children’s freshwater pool with a waterfall and a tipping water bucket for the little ones. There’s also an aquapark with slides, and a kids club for both younger children and teens.
For a calmer side of Ibiza, this hillside resort has two pools, a kids’ splash zone, and an all-inclusive buffet with a poolside bar. It’s a 10-minute walk from Cala Llonga’s shallow turquoise bay, offering a scenic, family-friendly base away from the island’s main party zone.
