DefenseNews

Drones spotted near 3 bases used by US Air Force in England

LONDON — The U.S. Air Force says a number of small drones were detected last week around three bases in eastern England that are used by American forces. The drones were spotted between Wednesday and Friday near RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall and RAF Feltwell. They were actively monitored after they were seen in the vicinity of and over the three bases, U.S. Air Forces Europe said in a…
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DefenseNews

Pentagon, Lockheed reach handshake deal for next F-35s

The Pentagon and Lockheed Martin have reached a handshake agreement for two more lots of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. The initial agreement will cover production of lots 18 and 19 of the stealth fighter’s air vehicle, Lockheed and the F-35 Joint Program Office said in a…
DefenseNews

Marine Corps F-35C notches first overseas combat strike

Marines recently carried out the service’s first combat strikes using the F-35C Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter during air missions against Houthi targets near the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Launching from the aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln on Nov. 9 and 10, the “Black Knights” of Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 (VMFA-314), 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing conducted multiple strikes on Houthi…
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DefenseNews

Air Force buying more drone wingmen to develop operational tactics

The Air Force is buying more drone wingmen known as collaborative combat aircraft to experiment with, the service’s acquisition chief said Wednesday. Andrew Hunter, the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, technology and logistics, said at Defense One’s State of Defense Business forum that he recently approved the purchase of more CCAs for the service’s experimental…
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DefenseNews

Trump picks Fox commentator Pete Hegseth as his next Defense Secretary

President-elect Donald Trump announced he will nominate Army veteran and conservative commentator Pete Hegseth as his next Secretary of Defense, saying the appointment will help strengthen America’s military. “With Pete at the helm, America’s enemies are on notice — Our military will be great again, and America will never back down,” Trump wrote in a statement Tuesday evening. “Nobody…
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