DefenseNews

Lockheed says global demand for F-35 remains strong despite uncertainty over US Air Force plans

June 15, 2021
FORT WORTH, Texas — Despite lingering questions about the U.S. Air Force’s commitment to buying 1,783 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, Lockheed Martin’s new head of the aircraft program expects growing international demand for the stealth jet, she told reporters Thursday. “We really haven’t seen any sort of diminishing interest,” Bridget Lauderdale told reporters during a June 10 visit…
Read more
DefenseNews

US Soldier in Kuwait Dies After Non-Combat Incident

June 11, 2021
Convoys drive to Camp Beuhring, Kuwait, as U.S. forces depart Iraq in 2011. (Kathryn Whittenberger/U.S. Navy) A U.S. soldier deployed in Kuwait died Thursday, the Defense Department announced. The soldier’s name is being withheld until the next of kin is notified. The incident happened at Camp Buehring and is under investigation, according to the announcement. It is unclear what led to the…
Read more
DefenseNews

SASC advances Air Force secretary pick, six other nominees

June 11, 2021
WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden’s nominee for Air Force secretary and six other top Pentagon picks advanced out of the Senate Armed Services Committee by a voice vote June 10. The Senate must consider them before they can be confirmed. The nominations are as follows: …
DefenseNews

Delivery of new Air Force One planes could be delayed until 2025

June 9, 2021
WASHINGTON — Boeing could deliver the first VC-25B Air Force One replacement in 2025, a year later than originally anticipated, a top Air Force acquisition official said Tuesday. The Air Force is currently assessing a revised plan proposed by Boeing after the company fell behind schedule building two new presidential transport aircraft, said Darlene Costello, principal deputy assistant…
Read more
DefenseNews

US Air Force completes tests of swarming munitions, but will they ever see battle?

June 8, 2021
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force has wrapped up the first phase of its Golden Horde demonstration effort, putting the service one step closer to developing swarming smart weapons that behave semi-autonomously and use algorithms to seek high-priority targets. But the technology won’t immediately move into a program of record, said Gen. Arnold Bunch, who leads Air Force Materiel Command.
Read more