DefenseNews

Permanent fighter force for Kadena still an option: Air Force general

WASHINGTON — Nearly six months after the Air Force began withdrawing its aging F-15C and D Eagles from Kadena Air Base in Japan, the service is still trying to figure out its long-term plan to maintain a deterrent fighter presence at the Pacific region base. And permanently stationing a new force of fighters at Kadena is still being considered, Lt. Gen. Richard Moore, the Air Force’s deputy…
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DefenseNews

US-Finnish defense pact could bolster Nordic F-35 footprint

MILAN — U.S. forces could gain access to a number of military bases near Russian borders if ongoing negotiations with Finland on a Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) prove successful. Finnish newspaper Helsinki Sanomat reported this month that the proposed agreement may allow for military infrastructure investments in the country, which could benefit the region’s fleet of Lockheed Martin-made…
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DefenseNews

Lockheed Martin reorganizes space business

WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest defense company, will streamline its space segment into three business lines focused on national security, commercial civil and strategic missile defense systems. The reorganization of Lockheed Martin Space, which…
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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DefenseNews

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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