WASHINGTON ― More Capitol Hill headwinds are greeting the Trump administration’s fast-moving sale of 50 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters to the United Arab Emirates, as Democrats on Friday introduced a new bill to curb the sale.
Following similar concerns and legislation from Senate Democrats, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., introduced legislation with new hurdles…
UAE could get up to 50 F-35s in $10B sale
October 31, 2020
WASHINGTON — The U.S. State Department is backing the sale of as many as 50 F-35 joint strike fighters to the United Arab Emirates in an arms deal worth an estimated $10.4 billion, according to multiple reports.
The news came as the Trump administration informally…
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…
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 COVID-19 disruptions and productivity inefficiencies,” Boeing’s chief financial officer, Greg Smith, told investors during…
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…
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 preliminary research on the Chinook upgrade during a parliamentary audit of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration on Oct.
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…
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 criteria.
If adopted, the “Secure F-35 Exports Act of 2020” could have a far-reaching impact on future sales of the Lockheed…
