CNO Article Raises Doubts About Joint Strike Fighter
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[This piece was originally published under the title “CNO Ready To Cut Back On F-35 Joint Strike Fighter,” which was factually incorrect; see our note below.] Chief of Naval Operations Jonathan Greenert’s recent article in Proceedings announces in public what many have already known in private: The U.S. Navy is not wholly committed to the… Keep reading →
Textron Wins Navy Hovercraft Contract To Replace Aging LCAC
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After repeated delays, an industry team led by Textron Inc. has won a $212.7 million contract for the next-generation hovercraft transport to carry Marine forces from ship to shore, the Navy announced at 5:01 today. The blandly named “Ship to Shore Connector” (SSC) will replace the aging Landing Craft Air Cushion (LCAC), also built by… Keep reading →
Japan Nails Down Purchase Of First Four F-35s
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WASHINGTON: A letter formally committing Japan to buy the first four of 42 F-35s is expected to land in the hands of Lockheed Martin and U.S. government officials today or tomorrow. We heard this from two very well informed sources. While Japan has formally announced its intention to buy — and then warned the U.S.… Keep reading →
Air Force Names SBIRS Survivor, Space Shuttle Veteran, & Missileer To Key Space Jobs
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WASHINGTON: The Pentagon named three Air Force officers to high-level assignments in military space today: the man who oversaw the first successful launch of the troubled Space-Based Infrared System (SBIRS), a veteran of the space shuttle program, and the outgoing overseer of the nation’s ballistic missile defense efforts. Brig. Gen. Roger Teague pinned on his… Keep reading →
Lockheed Upgrades Joint ISR System With Free Open-Source Software
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ARLINGTON, VA: At $2.6 million, the contract award that Lockheed Martin will announce today to upgrade something called the Distributed Common Ground System is a rounding error in the aerospace giant’s $46.5 billion annual revenue. But in an age of austerity, when mega-programs like Lockheed’s flagship Joint Strike Fighter are under ever-increasing scrutiny, small can… Keep reading →
DoD Strategy Document Highlights Mobile Adoption Challenges
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The Defense Department’s release of a new mobile device strategy late last week provides a revealing snapshot of how much work lies ahead for Defense officials in rationalizing the rapid adoption of smartphones, tablets, and mobile devices across the Department. It also highlights the urgent challenge to secure the use of those devices on Defense… Keep reading →
Sat Pic Offers Enticing Shot Of What May Be Secret Lockheed Drone
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UPDATED: Lockheed’s Skunk Works Confirms It’s Their Bird (Tuesday 1 p.m.) OK. Let’s get this out in the open. Neither you nor I are likely to learn the truth about the image of that thing that might be a plane under the white covering. But there’s this website called Open Source Geoint and it has… Keep reading →
EXCLUSIVE: HASC Try To Protect Air Guard May Mess Up C-5 Plans, Association Warns
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WASHINGTON: Both chambers of Congress have resoundingly rejected the administration’s proposed cuts to the Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve – but the language that the House passed is so sweeping that it may inadvertently block the modernization of the very Guard and Reserve forces it was written to protect, according to Hill sources… Keep reading →
Navy, Lockheed Labor To Fix LCS; POGO Unconvinced
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The Navy declared LCS-1 Freedom “fit for service” yesterday and on track for next year’s deployment to Singapore, while lead contractor Lockheed Martin says LCS-1’s shortfalls are largely fixed in the redesigned LCS-3, Fort Worth — but watchdog group POGO, whose reports have fueled Congressional skepticism, still has its doubts. “Earlier this month we have… Keep reading →
Why Doesn’t The F-35 Program Follow The Rules?
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By Rep. Todd Akin Why would the most expensive defense acquisition program in American history not be required to follow the rules? The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is the future fighter for the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps. The program has been repeatedly reorganized due to growing costs and schedule delays. This year the… Keep reading →