WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force could be one year away from being able to load its cargo planes with pallets of smart weapons, transforming them into strike aircraft without the need for expensive and lengthy modifications.
In August, the Air Force Research Laboratory awarded Lockheed Martin a contract worth up to $25 million to develop a palletized munitions system, Scott Callaway, director…
WASHINGTON — Boeing reported another $67 million charge on the KC-46 tanker program in third-quarter earnings disclosed Oct. 28, capping off a difficult quarter defined by continued hardships on its commercial side.
The increase in KC-46 costs was “due to continued…
Amid Emirati F-35 talks, Trump administration still ‘committed’ to congressional arms sale reviews
October 31, 2020
WASHINGTON ― Amid reports the Trump administration is fast-tracking sales of the high-tech F-35 warplane to the United Arab Emirates, the State Department remains committed to consulting Congress on arms sales to foreign governments, a senior administration official said…
F-35 to move into full-rate production later than expected
October 29, 2020
WASHINGTON — The Pentagon will have to put off moving the F-35 program to full-rate production due to another delay in starting critical simulation tests.
Before the Defense Department’s top weapons buyer, Ellen Lord, can clear the F-35 for full-rate production, the jet must undergo a series of tests in the Joint Simulation Environment, which emulates advanced threats that cannot be…
SEOUL — Research on the long-awaited upgrade of Chinook helicopters flown by the South Korean military shows it would be cheaper to buy new aircraft, according to a local lawmaker.
Rep. Min Hong-chul of the ruling Democratic Party revealed the result of the latest…
Raytheon laying off 20,000 amid commercial aviation slide
October 29, 2020
WASHINGTON ― Raytheon Technologies is cutting 15,000 staff and 4,000 contractor positions, largely at the company’s Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace divisions, due to decreased commercial aerospace sales from COVID-19 pandemic, CEO Greg Hayes said Tuesday on the…
US Army gets first Infantry Squad Vehicle from GM Defense
October 29, 2020
WASHINGTON — GM Defense delivered its first Infantry Squad Vehicle to the U.S. Army in an Oct. 27 ceremony at its proving grounds and production facility in Milford, Michigan, just 120 days after being chosen to build the new troop carrier.
The Army awarded the company a $214.3 million contract to produce 649 vehicles by the end of fiscal 2024. The service is planning to procure a total of…
Lawmakers take steps to slow down sale of F-35s to UAE
October 29, 2020
WASHINGTON— Two Senate Democrats are hoping to delay the potential sale of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to the United Arab Emirates, introducing on Oct. 20 legislation that would block the delivery of aircraft to Abu Dhabi unless the U.S. government meets certain…
European nations should shape their air-combat fleets to support the F-35, US analysts say
October 29, 2020
COLOGNE, Germany — European NATO nations without the fifth-generation F-35 combat jet should mold their fleets to complement the U.S.-developed aircraft in future operations, according to a new report commissioned by U.S. European Command.
The analysis, done by the…
Pentagon begins rolling out replacement for the F-35 system that maintainers hate the most
October 29, 2020
WASHINGTON — Last month, a U.S. Marine Corps F-35B squadron got its first taste of the new logistics system that will replace the much-maligned current system over the next two years.
An F-35B squadron from Marine Corps Air Station Yuma in Arizona on Sept. 29 became the first unit to receive the initial round of hardware needed to stand up the Operational Data Integrated Network, or ODIN, the…
