DefenseNews

Drones, planes need new weapons and sensors, says special ops official

TAMPA, Fla. — More options and less strain on humans are key to modernizing fixed-wing systems for U.S. Special Operations Command, according to the program executive officer in charge of the effort. Those themes extend to both piloted and uncrewed airframes, such as MC-130J Commando II and AC-130J Ghostrider aircraft as well as MQ-1C Gray Eagle drones, Air Force Col. Ken Kuebler told an…
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DefenseNews

Navy eyes private capital to modernize dated facilities

NORFOLK, Va. — U.S. Fleet Forces Command, facing major infrastructure spending shortfalls, is weighing alternative funding sources to fix them. Adm. Daryl Caudle told Defense News the military construction budget isn’t sufficient to address some issues at the bases and…
DefenseNews

Defense budget bill hit with delay over debt ceiling fight

WASHINGTON — The partisan fight over raising the debt ceiling has temporarily derailed Congress’ work on the annual defense authorization bill. The House’s markup of the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act — initially scheduled to begin this Thursday —…
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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