DefenseNews

Northrop Grumman passes key review for transport satellites

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Northrop Grumman’s design for the Space Development Agency’s next batch of communication satellites passed a critical review in March, the company said in a statement April 18. Northrop is on contract to build 42 satellites for SDA’s Tranche 1 Transport Layer, a suite of satellites that will provide resilient data transfer and communications capabilities to users…
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DefenseNews

Lockheed: F-35 upgrade delays will lead to fewer 2023 deliveries

WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin may not be able to deliver as many F-35s as it had hoped this year due to delays involving the fighters’ upcoming Technology Refresh 3 upgrades. Lockheed chief executive Jim Taiclet and chief financial officer Jay Malave said in a Tuesday earnings call with investors that the company now expects F-35 deliveries to be lower than it originally predicted because of…
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DefenseNews

China reveals new details of Raytheon, Lockheed sanctions

TAIPEI, Taiwan — China revealed new details of sanctions it previously announced against two U.S. weapons manufacturers Tuesday, including a ban on Chinese companies doing business with them. China imposed trade and investment sanctions in February on Lockheed Martin and…
DefenseNews

Romania selects F-35 to upgrade air force fleet

WARSAW, Poland — The Romanian authorities have approved a plan to acquire F-35 Lightning II fighter jets for the country’s air force. The latest move indicates Romania could become the third Eastern European ally, after Poland and the Czech Republic, to operate the…
DefenseNews

Pentagon should expand Defense Innovation Unit’s role, experts say

WASHINGTON — Former defense officials and industry executives are calling on the Pentagon to expand the influence of its commercial innovation hub to make it easier for the military to buy off-the-shelf technology. The recommendation comes from the Atlantic Council’s Commission on Defense Innovation Adoption — a panel of defense experts convened to consider how the U.S. Department of Defense…
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DefenseNews

US Navy, Marines push to make virtual training more real

NORFOLK, Va. — U.S. Navy and Marine Corps leaders are pushing to make Live, Virtual and Constructive training environments more realistic because, they say, lives are at stake. The services already have LVC training systems that go beyond basic simulators for a single…
DefenseNews

After tragedy, US Air Force probes English training for foreign pilots

JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO-LACKLAND, Texas — Two years after a Japanese air force pilot and his American instructor died in a military jet crash in Alabama, officials are mulling whether a U.S.-run program that teaches English to foreign aviators is partly to blame. The incident has prompted U.S. Air Force leaders to take a closer look at the quality of the instruction they provide, and consider how…
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