Tovey Bachman and Pat Kumashiro of LMI wrote in an opinion piece published Wednesday on Defense News that implementing hedging models could help the Department of Defense address sustainment issues with the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program.
Read More »Raytheon Completes SDB II Developmental Test; Mike Jarrett Comments
Raytheon has finished the development testing phase for its Small Diameter Bomb II technology and started integrating the weapon on F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and F/A-18E/F Super Hornet planes. The company said Thursday fighter pilots dropped and assessed 44 SDB II units to destroy maneuvering targets during the test. “SDB II can eliminate a wider …
Read More »Report: Japan, South Korea Consider Naval Ship Updates to Accommodate F-35s
Japan and South Korea are studying ways to modify their respective ships to support the operations of the Lockheed Martin-built F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, Defense News reported Tuesday. Anonymous military sources from both countries said that Japan plans to carry the F-35B short take-off vertical landing variant aboard its Izumo-class …
Read More »BAE-Northrop-DECA Team Obtains UK Defense Ministry Acquisition Award
A partnership of BAE Systems, Northrop Grumman and U.K.’s defense electronics and components agency has received recognition from the British defense ministry for their collaborative efforts under the F-35 Lightning II program. MoD honored the bid team called Team UK during the Minister for Defense Procurement Acquisition Awards ceremony that took place Nov. 28 at …
Read More »Reports: Germany Wants Lockheed-Built F-35 for Tornado Fighter Aircraft Replacement
The German air force has indicated a preference for Lockheed Martin-built F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to replace the service’s fleet of Tornado fighter jets, Jane’s 360 reported Wednesday. A senior official from Germany’s air force told Jane’s 360 that the military branch has shortlisted potential Tornado replacements and it believes F-35 meets …
Read More »Capt. Emily Grabowski: Raytheon Works to Meet USAF Small Diameter Bomb Delivery Schedule
Capt. Emily Grabowski, a U.S. Air Force spokeswoman, has said the service branch believes Raytheon could supply enough Small Diameter Bomb II units for initial deployment on the F-15E Strike Eagle aircraft by 2019, Bloomberg reported Thursday. Grabowski told Bloomberg in an email the company “has worked diligently to address technical discoveries and is implementing …
Read More »MBDA Taps Harris for Missile Carriage & Release Systems
Harris has received a contract from MBDA to supply carriage and release technology for the latter’s SPEAR precision strike missiles. Harris said Tuesday it will deliver four internal bay-compatible SCORPION lightweight ejection rack units for each of the weapon bays of two U.K. F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. “The MBDA SPEAR weapon, …
Read More »US Govt Picks BAE’s Australian Arm to Oversee F-35 APAC Warehouse
The U.S. government has selected BAE Systems‘ Australia-based subsidiary to manage the Asia-Pacific regional warehouse of the F-35 Lightning II program. Australia’s defense department said Saturday it estimates the assignment could bring in approximately $237 million in operations and infrastructure investments for the Australian industry throughout the life of the global fighter program. Christopher …
Read More »Varley Group to Help Build Portable Ground Facilities for Deployed Air Force F-35 Support Crews
Varley Group has received a $37.5 million contract to collaborate with Lockheed Martin on the design and development of portable ground facilities for U.S. Air Force personnel deployed overseas to support the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Varley Group said Thursday it will build ground facilities that can expand thrice the size of a shipping container as well …
Read More »ACT I Secures F-35 Program Office Logistics Support Subcontract; Michael Niggel Comments
Advanced Concepts and Technologies International has received a five-year subcontract from Booz Allen Hamilton to provide lifecycle logistics and sustainment services to the Naval Air Systems Command on behalf of the Defense Department‘s F-35 Program Office. The subcontract falls under a task order Booz Allen won through the U.S. Navy‘s Seaport-E contract vehicle, according to an ACT I release. …
Read More »Booz Allen Subcontracts ACT I for F-35 Program Office Engineering Support; Kevin Fischer Comments
Advanced Concepts and Technologies International has received a five-year subcontract from Booz Allen Hamilton to provide engineering services to the Naval Air Systems Command in support of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program office. Booz Allen awarded the subcontract under a task order the company won through the U.S. Navy‘s Seaport-e contract vehicle, …
Read More »BAE Systems Taps AMI Metals for Aluminum Plates on F-35, Hawk, Typhoon
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. subsidiary AMI Metals has received $100 million in aluminum plate orders from BAE Systems for use in the F-35 joint strike fighter, Hawk and Typhoon programs. AMI Metals will supply cut-to-size and cut-to-shape products to BAE Systems under the five-year contract, Reliance Steel & Aluminum …
Read More »Lockheed to Use Spirent GPS/INS Simulators for F-35 Tests
Lockheed Martin‘s aeronautics business has tapped Spirent Federal Systems to support hardware-in-the-loop tests of F-35 mission systems and sensors, where Spirent will provide GPS/INS simulation systems to the Joint Strike Fighter Mission Systems Integration Lab. Lockheed said Tuesday it will also use Spirent’s simulators for aiding procedures at the JSF Vehicle Systems Integration Facility. …
Read More »BAE Opens F-35 Parts Manufacturing Plant in Australia
BAE Systems plc has opened a new $160.4 million facility in Australia that will manufacture titanium parts for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter jet, American Metal Market reported Dec. 6. Frank Haflich writes that the new facility features a $10 million Starrag Group-built machining complex that is designed to produce aerospace …
Read More »Report: Navy Wants to Increase Raytheon Sidewinder Range by 60%
The Naval Air Systems Command wants to increase the range of a Raytheon-built Sidewinder missile by 60 percent to meet the needs of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Flightglobal reported Thursday. Dave Majumdar writes the modified AIM-9X Block III will focus on tweaks to the rocket motor and missile power to strengthen the …
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