DefenseNews

Raytheon, Lockheed to compete for Space Force satellite ground system

WASHINGTON — The Space Force selected teams led by Lockheed Martin and Raytheon to develop competing ground-control systems to operate its next generation of secure communication satellites. The service said May 2 it awarded $30 million to both teams to develop designs to compete for the Ground Resilient Integration and Framework for Operational Nuclear Command, Control and Communication system.
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Fleet Forces chief wants to make a smaller Navy more lethal

NORFOLK, Va. — The head of U.S. Fleet Forces Command operates a fleet smaller than the Navy planned, due to delays in ship and submarine construction and maintenance. But Adm. Daryl Caudle said reducing operations isn’t an option, as Navy forces routinely find themselves…
DefenseNews

Air Force prepares to retire U-2 spy planes in 2026

The Air Force is forging ahead with its plan to retire the storied U-2 Dragon Lady spy aircraft in fiscal 2026, as part of a yearslong effort to reshape how the service surveils American adversaries from above. Air Force leaders have considered retiring the U-2 fleet for…
DefenseNews

Lockheed eyes new F-35 parts deal, but can it handle wartime demands?

WASHINGTON — By the end of the year, a new and unusual deal for the F-35 fighter′s spare parts could be in place — one that would flip the current supply model on its head. If the proposed performance-based logistics contract works the way F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin has promised, it will save the government money, improve the availability of spare parts and give the company greater…
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DefenseNews

US Air Force shifting hundreds of computer apps to the cloud

BALTIMORE — The U.S. Department of the Air Force expects to move hundreds of applications to the cloud this year, according to Venice Goodwine, the director of enterprise information technology. The department has already migrated at least 100 apps, relying on its Cloud…
DefenseNews

More international forces to join US Army’s aviation experiment Edge

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Now entering its third year, the U.S. Army plans to bring more international partners into the Experimental Demonstration Gateway Exercise next month to improve the ability to connect, share information and execute missions together more seamlessly, according to the service’s two-star general in charge of aviation modernization. “We have a much larger coalition…
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DefenseNews

Defense industry reports improving post-COVID supply chain

WASHINGTON — More than three years after the COVID pandemic began to upend supply chains around the world, some defense executives say they are starting to see signs of recovery. But supply delays and shortfalls are still posing serious challenges to some major…
DefenseNews

Key milestone for new Boeing trainer aircraft delayed to 2027

WASHINGTON — Boeing’s T-7A jet trainer aircraft is not expected to reach initial operational capability until spring 2027, three years later than originally planned, the Air Force said. The Air Force’s next jet trainer has struggled with problems such as a potentially…
DefenseNews

Army projects 2 year delay getting new engine into UH-60 fleet

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The U.S. Army is predicting a nearly two-year delay getting its next-generation engine into UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters, the first aircraft in the fleet to receive the capability. GE Aerospace’s T901 engine will replace the 1970s-era T700 in both the Army’s Black Hawk and Apache helicopters, and it is the engine of choice for its Future Attack Reconnaissance…
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