Hill To DoD: What’s ‘Up Your Sleeve’ on SM-3 Missiles
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WASHINGTON: With the White House and Congress searching for defense cuts, a number of big-ticket Pentagon programs have been put under the microscope. With the recent release of two separate reports by the Defense Department and Congressional Budget Office, the Missile Defense Agency’s newest ballistic missile program could suffer. The SM-3 Block IIB missile will… Keep reading →
Put the Obama Administration on Probation, Not The F-35B
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Secretary Gates put the Marine F-35B V/STOVL version of the Lightning II on probation; it was a headline grabbing rhetorical trick. Gates pulled a similar ploy with the F-22 when announcing that the decision was based on a cost study within DoD. Unfortunately, the study never was done and does not exist. Unfortunately for our… Keep reading →
SASC Anger With Lockheed’s F-35 Put Program Near Death
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Washington: A little-noticed but extraordinary event took place during the Paris Air Show and it had nothing to do with the show. The Senate Armed Services Committee came within a whisker of officially killing the F-35 program. The June 21 vote in a closed committee session came on an amendment offered by Sen. John McCain… Keep reading →
Raytheon Touts New HVT Killer for Drones
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Paris: A dozen Haqqani network leaders are meeting with Mullah Omar in a Pakistani safe house provided courtesy of Pakistan’s intelligence service. Outside the walled compound romp a few children, chickens and goats. Women are a few dozen meters away, sitting in the shade of a nearby tree. Under today’s rules of engagement — which… Keep reading →
C-130J Soars Over France At Paris Air Show
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The C-130J, originally foisted by Congress on an Air Force that didn’t really want it, has since become a staple of the U.S. and many foreign air forces. The House Appropriations Committee approved $1.1 billion for 11 Js in its version of the 2012 spending bill compared to $988.2 billion approved by their Senate colleagues.… Keep reading →
Civilian Orders Dominate Paris Air Show, But Business Strong For U.S. Defense Companies
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Paris: Aerospace reporters began grumbling about the paucity of U.S. defense news at this year’s Paris Air Show by the end of the second day. While defense companies don’t go to air shows to make news, they are important venues for them to gain bragging rights and to set the tone of the debate about… Keep reading →
ISR ‘Will Lead the Fight’ By 2020
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More and more American leaders recognize the importance of taking a whole of government approach to using America’s power. We are strongest when we bring the full weight of our national power to bear — diplomacy, information, the military and economics. Applied with strategic skill, these four levers of national power — when acting in… Keep reading →
Boeing Military Air Seeks Sales Growth in Foreign Markets; Tanker Talks Begin
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Paris: Boeing’s military aircraft business expects its international sales to grow by some 5 percent over the next five to seven years, president Chris Chadwick told Breaking Defense. He said Boeing sees “about a five- to seven-year window of opportunity that only comes along once in a while in the international arena.” Most of that… Keep reading →
Record-setting X3 Helicopter Shows Off at Paris Air Show
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Paris: It’s a helicopter, but it’s not ungainly. It’s a helicopter, but it has two forward-facing propellers. It’s a helicopter but it flies as fast as some planes. It is the X3, a very high-speed helicopter built by European defense giant EADS. It’s already set one speed record, zooming at 279.6 miles per hour (232… Keep reading →
@AOLDefense: Lockheed’s Burbage very careful to leave all talk of poss India
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Lockheed’s Burbage very careful to leave all talk of poss India sale to US Gov’t. “LOCKHEED Martin has no role in that.” But doesn’t say no. @BreakingDefense