NO F-35s Coming To Farnborough; Safety First, Says SecDef Hagel
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UPDATED: Safety Engine Inspections Make Trans-Atlantic Flights Impracticable FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW: That whoosh sound you just heard was the air rushing out of all the Pentagon officials, Lockheed Martin employees and the myriads who still hoped the F-35Bs would fly here. Rear Adm. John Kirby issued this statement at 7 p.m BST during a… Keep reading →
Lockheed CEO Hewson: IRAD Climbing 5%, Praises Major Air Shows
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CRYSTAL CITY, Va: As the Defense Department continues to pressure companies to share the load in this time of shrinking budgets, Lockheed CEO Marilyn Hewson told reporters today her company will boost internal research and development spending 5 percent from its current level of $700 million. “We continue to invest in our porfolio because we… Keep reading →
F-35B To Fly At Christening Of Brits’ Newest Aircraft Carrier, If Weather OK
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WASHINGTON: Do not expect any official confirmation, but the British will allow Lockheed Martin’s F-35B to make its first flight outside of the United States on July 4 when the country’s newest aircraft carrier is christened by Her Majesty the Queen. Apparently eager not to disappoint Queen Elizabeth, should the plane not be able to… Keep reading →
F-35 Prices Drop 8 Percent In $7 Billion Deal
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WASHINGTON: The Pentagon and F-35 maker Lockheed Martin have agreed on the terms of a deal for the Defense Department to buy two lots of F-35s for $7 billion. The big question now is the average price per plane for each tranche (LRIP 6 and 7). While we’ve confirmed with two sources that the deal… Keep reading →
F-35 Costs Dip A Tiny Bit; SAR Says Program Costs Down $4.5 Billion
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UPDATED: SAR Report Added WASHINGTON: The official costs of the F-35 program have shrunk, not much, but they are down for the first time. The Pentagon’s authoritative Selected Acquisition Report says the program is projected to be $4.5 billion less expensive than its last estimate. That’s 1 percent of the program. F-35 December 2012 SAR… Keep reading →
New Air Force Chief Offers Strong Support For Lockheed’s F-35 At Fort Worth Plant
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This is one of those videos we’ll put up occasionally just for the record. It’s the only way most folks are going to know that Air Force Chief of Staff Mark Welsh visited the F-35 plant in Fort Worth and voiced strong support for the plane. Welsh’s remarks come as Lockheed declared yesterday afternoon during… Keep reading →
Panetta Orders Air Force to Act on F-22 Safety Woes
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PENTAGON: Unhappy with the Air Force’s handling of the long-simmering problems with the oxygen system on the most expensive fighter plane in history, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta ordered restrictions on F-22 flights and told the Air Force to speed up its efforts to prevent Raptor pilots from experiencing life-threatening hypoxia in flight. It certainly looks… Keep reading →
Rare New Program Start, JAGM, Rises From Acquisition Cemetery
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WASHINGTON: One of the few entirely new major Pentagon weapon systems appears to be rising from the dead, with the $5 billion Joint Air To Ground Missile living on roughly $300 million of money already appropriated and securing supportive language in the House Armed Services Committee’s first draft of the defense policy bill. “The rumors… Keep reading →
Military Airships: Hot Air or Soaring Promise?
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The past decade has seen an unlikely revival of a long-grounded technology. Military airships, last operational with the U.S. Navy in the 1960s, took back to the skies, propelled by soaring demand for long-endurance, low-cost aerial surveillance in Iraq and Afghanistan. Per flight hour, an airship costs a fraction of what a helicopter or a… Keep reading →
Lockheed’s CEO Stepping Down, Remains Chairman; Strike, Sequestration Effects Uncertain
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CORRECTED: Fixed Effective Dates of Stevens’ Retirement WASHINGTON: The man at the helm of the world’s biggest company, Bob Stevens, resigned today from his post as CEO and was smoothly replaced by Chris Kubasik, the company’s chief operating officer. His resignation is effective January first. Stevens will remain chairman through 2014, to ensure a smooth… Keep reading →