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  • BAE Marks F-35 Component Production Milestone - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    BAE Marks F-35 Component Production Milestone

    BAE Systems has accomplished 10 percent of its global production requirement under the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft program. BAE said Wednesday the milestone was reached when the company delivered the 318th aft fuselage for an F-35 aircraft from its Samlesbury, Lancashire-based manufacturing facility to Lockheed Martin‘s final assembly and check out line in Fort Worth, Texas. Lockheed will […] More

  • Lockheed-Built F-35 Fleet Exceeds 100,000 Flight Hours - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    Lockheed-Built F-35 Fleet Exceeds 100,000 Flight Hours

    The Lockheed Martin-built F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft fleet has surpassed 100,000 flight hours as the company works to complete the program’s system development and demonstration phase. Lockheed said Monday the remaining F-35 development flight tests include the validation of the final Block 3F software release; F-35B ski jump demonstrations and austere site operations; high-Mach Loads […] More

  • Galliford Try-Lagan Construction JV to Help Build UK F-35B Hangar Under $171M Contract - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    Galliford Try-Lagan Construction JV to Help Build UK F-35B Hangar Under $171M Contract

    A joint venture of Galliford Try and Lagan Construction has secured a potential $170.9 million contract from the U.K.’s ministry of defense to build an F-35B aircraft hangar at a Royal Air Force base in Marham, England. The ministry said Wednesday contract funds will be used to update existing facilities, add vertical landing pads for the […] More

  • First Italian-Built F-35B 'Rolls Out' in Cameri, Italy - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    First Italian-Built F-35B ‘Rolls Out’ in Cameri, Italy

    The first Short Take-Off/Vertical Landing version of the F-35, or F-35B, was rolled out Friday in Cameri, Italy at the Final Assembly & Check-Out (FACO) facility. The jet is expected to take its first flight in late August and will be delivered to the Italian Ministry of Defense in November.  The next Italian F-35B aircraft […] More

  • Dave Wajsgras: Raytheon to Develop Landing Guidance Tool for F-35, Drones Under $255M Navy Contract - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    Dave Wajsgras: Raytheon to Develop Landing Guidance Tool for F-35, Drones Under $255M Navy Contract

    Raytheon will work to develop and produce a Joint Precision Approach and Landing System for integration with the Lockheed Martin-built F-35 aircraft and unmanned aerial systems under the potential six-year, $255 million contract with the U.S. Navy. The company said Wednesday the contract could reach $270 million in total value if the service branch exercises all options. […] More

  • Navy, Marine Corps Demo Lockheed's F-35, Aegis Weapon System in Live Missile Fire Test - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    Navy, Marine Corps Demo Lockheed’s F-35, Aegis Weapon System in Live Missile Fire Test

    The U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps demonstrated the Lockheed Martin-built F-35 Lightning II aircraft and Aegis Weapon System during a live fire missile test held Monday at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. Lockheed and the two service branches have conducted a Naval Integrated Fire Control-Counter Air operation through the use of the Marine Corps’ […] More

  • Michael Fallon: UK Wants DoD to Finalize Procurement Deal for Lockheed’s F-35s - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    Michael Fallon: UK Wants DoD to Finalize Procurement Deal for Lockheed’s F-35s

    Michael Fallon, U.K. defense minister, has said the U.K. has called on the U.S. Defense Department to finalize and approve the former country’s request to procure 138 Lockheed Martin-built F-35 aircraft under two contracts worth approximately $15 billion, Bloomberg reported Thursday. Anthony Capaccio writes the contracts include the potential sale of nine Lockheed’s F-35B short-takeoff […] More

  • British Air Force Concludes F-35B Tanker Tests - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    British Air Force Concludes F-35B Tanker Tests

    The U.K.’s air force has completed the refueling test trials for the Lockheed Martin-built F-35B Lightning II short takeoff and vertical landing aircraft at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland, The Aviationist reported Tuesday. Todd Miller writes the Royal Air Force used an A330 Voyager tanker to conduct 18 air-to-air refueling tests during a […] More

  • BAE Systems Conducts 1,000th F-35 Vertical Landing - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    BAE Systems Conducts 1,000th F-35 Vertical Landing

    BAE Systems has completed the 1,000th vertical landing of a Lockheed Martin-built F-35B as part of an ongoing flight test program. BAE said Friday Peter Wilson – lead test pilot for the short takeoff and vertical landing variant of the F-35 — performed the landing at Naval Air Station Patuxent River six years after BAE pilot Graham Tomlinson conducted the first vertical landing. “Every day, […] More

  • UTC Subsidiary Awards F135 Engine Component Manufacturing Contracts to 4 Italian Aerospace Suppliers - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    UTC Subsidiary Awards F135 Engine Component Manufacturing Contracts to 4 Italian Aerospace Suppliers

    A United Technologies Corp. subsidiary has awarded four Italy-based aerospace suppliers potential 10-year manufacturing contracts worth an estimated $17 million for the production of F135 engine components. Pratt & Whitney has selected Aerea, APR, Mepit and NCM to manufacture the engine components that will be integrated with the Lockheed Martin-built F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft, Pratt & Whitney said Thursday. Cliff […] More

  • Lockheed-Built F-35 Fleet Hits 50K Flight Hours - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    Lockheed-Built F-35 Fleet Hits 50K Flight Hours

    A fleet of Lockheed Martin-built F-35 Lightning II aircraft that the U.S. service branches and other countries operate worldwide has reached the mark of 50,000 flight hours. Lockheed said Wednesday 155 operational fighter jets deployed to six countries reached approximately 37,950 flight hours, while 18 F-35 planes intended for system development and demonstration operations reached 12,050 flight […] More

  • Italy’s Boeing-Built Tanker Completes Foreign Aerial Refueling Test With US F-35A - top government contractors - best government contracting event
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    Italy’s Boeing-Built Tanker Completes Foreign Aerial Refueling Test With US F-35A

    The Boeing-built KC-767A tanker from Italy has completed its first foreign aerial refueling test with the U.S. Air Force’s F-35A fighter plane, Breaking Defense reported Thursday. Colin Clark writes the Italian tanker completed the certification refueling test in California on July 29. The F-35A fighter aircraft received 16,000 pounds of fuel from the KC-767A tanker […] More