Senior Dutch defense officials were present for a ceremony held at General Atomics’ Reaper production line in Poway, California on July 7 for the unveiling of the Block 5-model aircraft, the first of four systems being acquired for the Royal Netherlands Air Force. 

Lockheed Martin Aeronautics has agreed to pay the Pentagon $34.3 million in recompense for F-35 spare parts that were not ready for installation when they were first delivered, resulting in additional costs for the stealthy fighter program. 

The Pentagon has terminated the $10 billion Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure Cloud contract with Microsoft because the effort no longer meets requirements, and instead is launching a new multi-vendor program called the Joint Warfighter Cloud Capability.

At least 47 military personnel have been killed after a Philippine Air Force Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules crashed while attempting to land at an airfield on an island in the south of the country on July 4. 

Basing locations for F-35s, A-10s, E-11s and HH-60s are being reshuffled as the US Air Force plots fleet divestment strategy.

Spanish lawmakers have approved financing for a trio of programs partly aimed at maintaining Airbus’ presence in the country.

South Korea will develop and acquire an artillery interception system akin to the Israeli Iron Dome missile defense system to protect the country against rockets, artillery and missiles (RAM) from North Korea.  

For the first time in years, the House Appropriations defense subcommittee has proposed funding only the number of F-35s that the Pentagon asked for in fiscal 2022 instead of providing dollars for extra aircraft.