The F-35 program is struggling to find enough funding to fully stand up and resource the jet’s depots because the Pentagon’s habit of underfunding the maintenance facilities while expecting cost reductions in contract negotiations is not playing out as expected, the program executive says.
Northrop Grumman is progressing on workforce absenteeism issues that plagued its F-35 program over the winter, and otherwise does not see particular problems elsewhere in its portfolio due to ongoing inflation, labor, pandemic or war-related issues, the large prime’s chief executive said April 28.
President Joe Biden on April 28 requested $33 billion from Congress for aid to Ukraine, a dramatic increase from ongoing spending to support Kyiv in its fight against Russia, and specifically highlights a need for anti-aircraft and advanced air defense systems.
The Japan Air Self Defense Force has confirmed that it is currently conducting air-to-air refueling compatibility tests with the Royal Australian Air Force.
The U.S. Marine Corps and the White House are starting the integration of the new Sikorsky VH-92A presidential helicopter after declaring it reached initial operational capability (IOC), though the Navy says full operational capability could be delayed without fixes to a troubled electronics system.
The U.S. Air Force expects its future Next Generation Air Dominance sixth-generation aircraft to cost multiple hundreds of millions per copy, and the service is already expecting cost offsets to come with open systems architecture and other components that are government and not contractor owned.
Boeing’s first-quarter 2022 financial results were another gusher of red ink, with the beset U.S. aerospace and defense OEM reporting new charges and negative results over most of its operations, and the company leaving investors and analysts with reasonable doubt over whether it can achieve net-positive cash flow this year.
Military demand for aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul will grow significantly over the next decade, but several factors—including galloping inflation, a scarcity of workers and shortages of key materials—are putting pressure on the supply chain, said speakers here at Aviation Week’s Military Aviation Logistics and Maintenance Symposium on April 27.
The U.S. Air Force will buy Boeing E-7A Wedgetails to replace part of its E-3 Sentry Airborne Warning and Control System fleet after months of speculation, with a prototype expected to be delivered in 2027.
The UK has begun negotiations to purchase another 26 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, but decisions on building toward the UK’s commitment of 138 aircraft will be pushed into the middle of the decade, defense officials have said.
A meeting of more than 40 nations aimed at providing military support to Ukraine will become a regular event as the countries plan to both bolster Kyiv’s defense stocks and strengthen the global industrial base to meet a growing need for materiel.
The U.S. Air Force now wants to buy 64 fewer Boeing F-15EX aircraft than in the service’s original acquisition plan and halt procurement of the twin-engined fighter after fiscal 2024.
To keep up with hypersonic missile advancements by Russia, United States and, most importantly, China, Taiwan is reportedly standing up a hypersonic technology research and development office.
The Pentagon is expediting the delivery of a previously undisclosed small uncrewed aircraft system to Ukraine, saying the capabilities of the kamikaze drone are uniquely suited for the upcoming fight against Russia in the country’s east.
If Lockheed Martin’s financial results for the first quarter and reaffirmed 2022 guidance are any indication, investors are unlikely to be either inspired or horrified about U.S. defense sector prospects for much of this year—regardless of hopes of spending growth or concerns over inflation and suppliers.
The coming overhaul of the U.S. Air Force’s bomber fleet to two aircraft will require a large-scale change in the service’s thinking and training after decades of conducting the same missions with a fleet of three bombers.
The U.S. Air Force’s surprise plan to cut to its buy of Sikorsky HH-60W helicopters comes as the service is conducting an internal, wargames-based review of what the future of the combat search and rescue mission will become.
