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A look at some of what this year’s SOF Week conference in Tampa had to offer.
By Michael MarrowModernizing our supply chain is a national security imperative
Closing supply chain gaps in innovating technology will reposition the industrial base to be a strategic source of value.
“Our first challenge is to strengthen our workforce, more specifically to address the shortfalls in those specific masteries and experience levels that constrain our capacity to grow,” the chief of the Royal Australian Air Force said.
By Colin Clark
Lockheed Martin alleged in court filings that Howmet cut off the supply of titanium after the aerospace giant refused to agree to higher prices, threatening production of the F-35.
By Michael Marrow
F-35 program could reshuffle long-term upgrade plan, deliver TR-3 jets early without full capability
“I’m getting tired of over-promising and under-delivering,” F-35 program head Air Force Lt. Gen. Mike Schmidt said.
By Michael Marrow
While the Pentagon now expects the plane to fly until 2088, GAO found the services are planning to slash flight hours, which can help hold down the program’s topline.
By Michael Marrow
Older F-35 stealth fighters were slated to start getting the Technology Refresh 3 upgrade this month, but the Pentagon has postponed the retrofit plan to an unspecified date.
By Michael Marrow
The approval ends an ironic episode for the fighter nicknamed the “Lightning II.”
By Valerie Insinna and Michael Marrow
What’s new in naval radars and missiles: Defending the Pacific
Defending U.S. naval forces in the Pacific, Red Sea, and elsewhere require a range of systems from close-in weapons to anti-ballistic missiles.
After rancorous debate, a new engine for the stealth fighter was already in doubt, but legislation released by congressional appropriators today seemingly puts the issue to rest.
By Michael Marrow
“Now that we understand that 80 kilowatts is a must-have, it was the mission of: how do we get there, with the lowest impact to the overall airframe?” Honeywell Aerospace’s Matt Milas told Breaking Defense in an exclusive interview.
By Michael Marrow
Across the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, the Pentagon will purchase 21 fewer fighter jets than originally expected for the 2025 fiscal year, dropping a planned buy of 107 to 86.
By Michael Marrow
“We’re very, very fixated on being competitive with the pacing challenge [of China],” said Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. “I think the budget that we’ve submitted moves us forward — not quite as fast as we would like to, but it moves us forward in the right direction while maintaining current capabilities that are essential to the nation.”
By Michael Marrow
The designation marks the first time that a stealth fighter can carry a nuclear weapon, in this case the B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bomb.
By Michael Marrow
COVID-19 stalled defense programs, so money moves from last year to this, giving Singapore defense spending a single year bump of over 12 percent.
By Colin Clark
Recently confirmed Gen. Jim Slife pledged to work on sharing data not only inside the Air Force but with his counterparts at the other armed services.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
