All Department of Defense articles – Page 4
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NewsUS Congress restores funding to F-35 adaptive engine programme
Although the Pentagon wants to move on from the Adaptive Engine Transition Programme, lawmakers in the US Capitol approved $280 million in 2024 to fund the research programme that generated two prototype adaptive cycle powerplants for the F-35 stealth fighter.
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NewsUS Congress halts KC-135 replacement until USAF produces stealth tanker acquisition plan
The 2024 defence spending plan approved by lawmakers in Washington bars the US Air Force from issuing a formal strategy to phase out the ageing Boeing KC-135 tanker fleet, until the service produces an acquisition strategy for the Next Generation Air-refuelling System survivable tanker.
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NewsUS defence spending bill could expose new details of sixth-generation fighter development
Language included in the 2024 US defence spending plan will require the Pentagon to provide greater insight into how it plans to develop and field the next generation of combat aircraft, including sixth-generation fighters and autonomous support jets.
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NewsUS Congress approves nearly 12% reduction to A-10 fleet
For the second consecutive year, lawmakers who control US defence spending have approved the retirement of some Fairchild Republic A-10 attack jets, a move long-sought by US Air Force leaders.
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NewsPratt & Whitney wins sole-source contract for F-35 engine upgrade
Although the Pentagon had already declared its intent to advance the Engine Core Upgrade programme for the F135 engine, the sole-source contract announcement solidifies Pratt & Whitney’s position as the F-35 propulsion supplier for another decade.
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NewsPentagon invests $3.7m in composites manufacturer Qarbon Aerospace
The contract with Texas-based Qarbon Aerospace will support the design and manufacture of advanced lightweight continuous fibre thermoplastic composite structures intended for national defence aviation applications.
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News‘Kinetic and non-kinetic’ solutions needed to defend against uncrewed aircraft: Pentagon
The US military’s top officer focused on countering uncrewed aerial systems says addressing the growing threat will require a mix of offensive and defensive equipment, including interceptor missiles, electronic warfare and microwave and laser-based systems.
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NewsPentagon orders AC-130J strike in Iraq
The lethal action follows other strikes in Syria, which Washington says it ordered against Iranian-affiliated groups in response to aggression against American ground and naval forces in the region.
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NewsAurora proposes fan-in-wing aircraft for DARPA Sprint competition
Revealing the second of four designs for DARPA’s Speed and Runway Independent Technologies aircraft development programme, Boeing subsidiary Aurora is opting for a blended-wing-body approach using fan-in-wing rotors for vertical lift.
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NewsUSA launches F-15 strikes and B-1 flights over the Middle East following MQ-9 downing
American air power is on full display across the Middle East, with a B-1 bomber flight and lethal strikes from F-15 fighters coming the same day a US Air Force MQ-9 UAV was downed by rebel fighters in Yemen.
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NewsTextron Aviation wins $100 million Pentagon contract to sell turboprops to foreign governments
The Foreign Military Sales agreement allows Textron Aviation, over five years, to deliver to overseas buyers aircraft including Cessna SkyCouriers, Grand Caravan EXs and Beechcraft King Airs.
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In depthUS strikes targets in Syria after attacks on American bases
Without revealing how the operation was carried out, the Pentagon says it has struck targets in eastern Syria, including sites used by Iranian military operatives, after militant groups in the area attacked American bases in the area, injuring more than 20 US personnel and killing one contractor.
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NewsPentagon unveils maintenance partnership with South American operators
US Southern Command is rolling out an initiative with partner nations in South America to improve logistics on the continent and operator-level maintenance of US-built platforms, such as the Lockheed Martin C-130.
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In depthPentagon details ‘sharp increase’ in aggressive intercepts by Chinese aircraft
Military officials in Washington say they have logged some 300 incidents over the past two years in which aircraft from China’s People’s Liberation Army conducted what the Pentagon calls ‘coercive and risky’ intercepts of US and allied crews operating lawfully in the East and South China Seas.
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NewsF-35 delivery projections drop below 100 for 2023 amid TR-3 delays
Lockheed Martin now estimates it will deliver just 97 F-35 Lightning II stealth fighters in 2023, despite producing the fifth-generation jets at a rate of 156 per year.
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NewsCongressional dysfunction could impact the US Army’s next-generation aircraft
Political in-fighting has paralysed the US congressional budget process, leaving defence officials scrambling to prepare for funding disruptions that could impact testing and roll-out of new development programmes, including the army’s Future Attack Reconnaissance Aircraft and Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft.
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NewsBeta installs first USAF electric aircraft charging station
The Vermont-based developer of electric aircraft installed the US Air Force’s first-ever electric aircraft charging station at Eglin AFB, Florida, ahead of the planned arrival of Beta’s Alia under a Pentagon contract.
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NewsGeneral Atomics prepares for flight testing of uncrewed ‘missile truck’
The producer of combat UAVs is developing an uncrewed, air-launched vehicle for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency that will itself carry and launch currently available air-to-air missiles.
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NewsUSA to provide Taiwan with $80m in defence hardware
While Washington has been approving the sale of military equipment to Taipei for decades, the latest package marks the first time the US government will provide funding for the purchase.
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NewsUSA aims to counter China with ‘thousands’ of autonomous systems
The Pentagon’s new “Replicator” initiative aims to field “multiple thousands” of low-cost “attritable” and autonomous systems within the next two years – technology Washington hopes will counter China’s numerical advantages in the Indo-Pacific region.