Defense

RAF FAIRFORD, England — The Air Force has reached an agreement with Boeing to build the first rapid prototype E-7 battle management aircraft, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall told reporters here over the weekend. The terms of the contract are not yet settled, but should be wrapped up next month, Kendall said at the Royal International Air Tattoo air show. The completion of this deal would…

Navy Under Secretary Erik Raven will step down from his position next month, the Navy said. Raven took on the job in April 2022 and has served as the Department of the Navy’s chief operating officer and chief management officer, according to his official biography. He oversaw a variety of programs and was responsible for the department’s business operations, risk management and performance…

The Pentagon on Friday “indefinitely” called off a U.S. Army exercise in the country of Georgia, which neighbors Russia, as U.S. officials review future cooperation with the country. The training event, dubbed Noble Exercise 2024, was scheduled to run from July 25 to Aug. 6, and normally takes place at Vaziani and Camp Norio Training Areas outside the capital city of Tbilisi. The Pentagon said…

ARLINGTON, Va. — Boeing announced plans to acquire key supplier Spirit AeroSystems for $4.7 billion, a move that it says will improve plane quality and safety amid increasing scrutiny by Congress, airlines and the U.S. Justice Department. Boeing previously owned Spirit, and the purchase would reverse a longtime Boeing strategy of outsourcing key work on its passenger planes. That approach has…