Strong demand for the Joint Strike Fighter means a production crunch is lurking, a top US Air Force general tells Breaking Defense. But expanding production could be risky business for industry.
By Michael MarrowWhat’s new in naval radars and missiles: Defending the Pacific
Defending U.S. naval forces in the Pacific, Red Sea, and elsewhere require a range of systems from close-in weapons to anti-ballistic missiles.
A sweeping report on sustainment of the F-35 from the Government Accountability Office found that a lack of depot capacity is hurting the fighter’s mission capable rates, with other problems in access to technical data, availability of parts and over-reliance on contractors for maintenance.
By Michael Marrow
During the stand down, units will discuss “fundamentals of safe flight operations, ground safety, maintenance and flight procedures, and maintaining combat readiness,” Marines say.
By Michael Marrow
Before the Joint Strike Fighter was located, an analyst told Breaking Defense it probably couldn’t fly too long on its own due to aerodynamic and fuel limitations.
By Michael Marrow
Lockheed CEO Jim Taiclet also said that TR-3 upgrade delays for the Joint Strike Fighter stemmed from late hardware, compressing the schedule for software testing.
By Michael Marrow
“Our mindset has to be that we use the spectrum to kill faster, not to protect things,” said Col. Joshua Koslov. “The more things we kill, the less things that can hurt us.”
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
The defense giant previously expected to deliver the first in a new series of upgraded F-35s by the end of this year, a schedule that has now slipped to April 2024 at the earliest.
By Michael Marrow
Modernizing our supply chain is a national security imperative
Closing supply chain gaps in innovating technology will reposition the industrial base to be a strategic source of value.
As Australia hails the Japanese F-35s’ arrival, it’s also working with another partner, the US, on the much more somber task of investigating the deadly crash of a US Marine V-22.
By Colin Clark
“Not only does the Williamtown stealth-coating facility provide Australia with a valuable sovereign capability and cut down on cumbersome timelines for sustaining Australian F-35s in the United States, it will also serve as a second source of service for US aircraft in the region,” analyst Ashley Townshend told Breaking Defense.
By Colin Clark
“Importantly, one of the first decisions of the Albanese Labor government after the Defense Strategic Review was to allocate $4.1 billion for long-range strike and missile manufacturing over the next four years,” Pat Conroy, defense industry minister, said.
By Colin Clark
“We have 25 fighter squadrons in the Guard right now. And when I look at the global demand, my personal view is I think we need to keep all 25 of those. I think our nation needs that capability,” said National Guard chief Gen. Daniel Hokanson.
By Michael Marrow
A Honeywell Aerospace executive suggested Pratt & Whitney is improperly coordinating with fellow RTX subsidiary Collins Aerospace on modernization efforts for the F-35, but a Pratt VP denied the charge.
By Michael Marrow
The 10-day exercise brought Vice Adm. Dinesh Tripathi of the Indian Navy from India’s western coast to Papua New Guinea, via the Solomon Islands and on to Sydney, a rare outing for the Indian admiral who had only visited the Pacific once in 2018.
By Colin Clark
Beyond politics, the Air Force Secretary weighed in on key items in the defense budget, citing concerns about potential cuts to NGAD funding and unnecessary bumps to an alternate F-35 engine.
By Michael Marrow
