Defense

WASHINGTON — Two of the KC-46 aerial refueling tanker’s major technical problems may be in the rearview mirror. The U.S. Air Force on Feb. 1 announced it closed one of the Boeing-made aircraft’s six category 1 deficiencies — which indicate problems that impact operations or pose a safety risk — and downgraded another to the lesser category 2 status. The two issues both revolve…

WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin announced Jan. 29 the appointment of Greg Ulmer as the company’s executive vice president of aeronautics, making him the top executive overseeing flagship aviation programs such as the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter as well as the secretive Skunk Works development shop. Ulmer, 56, has spent the past three years leading the F-35 program, Lockheed’s largest effort…

STUTTGART, Germany — Rheinmetall and MBDA Deutschland have officially been tasked to build, test and field a high-energy laser weapon system for the German Navy over the next year. The consortium, dubbed ARGE, was awarded a contract “in the low double-digit million euro range” by Berlin’s military procurement office, the Federal Office for Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology…

WASHINGTON — General Dynamics’ marine business expects its work in building submarines to drive hundreds of millions of dollars in annual revenue growth over the coming years, company head Phebe Novakovic told investors in a call Wednesday. The company is expecting a $300 million increase in revenue in 2021, with a rough estimate of between $400-500 million of growth a year, Novakovic said…