All Department of Defense articles – Page 7
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NewsLockheed finalises contract for another 398 F-35s, misses 2022 delivery target
The $30 billion deal with the US government covers aircraft for the USA, Belgium, Finland and Poland, and comes as Lockheed missed its 2022 F-35 delivery target due to an ongoing pause in flight operations.
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NewsCongress passes spending bill, funding military and averting shutdown
The House of Representatives approved a spending package that includes $858 billion to fund the US military, averting a shutdown that would have affected numerous defence procurement programmes and regular operations.
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NewsCongress proposes military spending plan with $7bn for aircraft procurement
A spending plan to fund the US government through September 2023 would provide roughly $7 billion for the acquisition of new defence aircraft and $45 billion to support the Ukrainian military.
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NewsPentagon taking unidentified aerial phenomena ‘seriously’
Government officials say a newly created office to investigate sightings of unknown aerial vehicles near US military aircraft has already received hundreds of reports, some of which they think pose a potential national security risk.
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NewsAurora wins DARPA contract to develop ‘active flow control’ X-plane
The X-plane effort aims to produce an aircraft that uses so-called active flow control, rather than traditional aerodynamic control surfaces such as rudders and flaps, to improve flight performance.
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NewsFewer A-10s but protections for F-22s, EA-18Gs and F-15s in US defence policy bill
If approved, the behemoth bill to fund the US military through 2023 would allow some reductions to the A-10 fleet, but prohibit retirements of many other types, including fighters, tankers and transports.
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NewsUS military to explore use of sustainable aviation fuel
A directive from Congress included in the 2023 defence spending bill would require the Pentagon to establish at least one refinery and production of a 10% SAF fuel blend by 2028.
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NewsWashington approves Finland purchase of Raytheon air-to-air, air-to-ground missiles
The government in Helsinki received approval for an official Foreign Military Sales request to purchase 40 AIM-9X Block II Sidewinder missiles and 48 AGM-154 Joint Standoff Weapons from Raytheon.
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NewsGeneral Atomics selected to design DARPA’s ‘Liberty Lifter’ seaplane
The manufacturer of unmanned air vehicles will receive nearly $8 million from the Pentagon’s research and development agency to design a heavy-lift seaplane that can operate without traditional aviation infrastructure.
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In depthDrone swarms, solar-powered UAVs and congested air space management: the US Army’s experiment in the desert
An annual series of experiments with new military technology, known as Project Convergence, seek to push the bounds of what a multi-national, Western fighting force can do on the battlefield.
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NewsPilotless Black Hawk flies medevac, resupply missions in DARPA experiment
The Pentagon’s secretive weapons development office, working with helicopter maker Sikorsky, successfully modified a UH-60 Black Hawk to fly without pilot input.
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NewsLockheed Martin predicts F-35 production slowdown in 2023
Executives expect Lockheed will produce fewer of the advanced multi-role fighter next year, citing uncertainty over US orders and competing budget priorities.
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NewsCongress signals support for continued advanced-propulsion research funding
US lawmakers sent a letter to the Pentagon urging defence leaders to continue funding research into adaptive-propulsion jet engines, which are expected to power future military aircraft.
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InterviewHypersonic threats: Why Canada is doubling down on enhanced Arctic defence
Canada disclosed in June plans to spend nearly C$40 billion ($29.4 billion) over 20 years to enhance defence of its sprawling Arctic region, citing threats including those from “autocratic regimes”.
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NewsUS Air Force grounds select C-130 transports over propeller cracks
The discovery of cracks in the propeller barrel assemblies on multiple C-130H models led Air Mobility Command to issue a no-fly order for roughly 100 aircraft.
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In depthTwo decades of under-investment has left the US Air Force hollowed-out: Mitchell Institute
The airpower think tank says the USA’s fleet of combat aircraft is currently smaller, older and less ready than it has been in decades.
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NewsDARPA launches expeditionary vertical take-off X-plane effort
The Pentagon’s secretive research arm is seeking design submissions for a next-generation vertical take-off platform that can operate from ships and austere airfields with minimal support infrastructure.
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NewsPentagon suspends F-35 deliveries over China-sourced materials
An onboard component of the jet, produced by Honeywell, was found to have been manufactured using raw materials produced in China, a violation of US government rules for defence products.
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NewsCiting lengthy aircraft development timelines, Pentagon pushes for faster technology rollout
Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks gives the multi-decade phasing in of stealth technology as an example of what the defence sector must move away from.
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AnalysisPentagon convenes safety council to address soaring aviation accident rate
The Joint Safety Council was created after a five-year study of aviation accidents in the US military tallied nearly 6,000 incidents resulting in 200 fatalities and more than 150 aircraft destroyed.