News
Going on offense: Obama’s new Afghan war policy begins to take shape –
Now that President Obama has abandoned his plan to greatly scale back U.S.-involvement in the Afghan war, military commanders are drawing up plans to help Afghan forces hammer Taliban insurgents.
Carter: U.S. will use Iraq city as base to retake Mosul –
U.S. and coalition forces will use the newly retaken air base in Qayara as a staging hub, as Iraqi security forces move forward in the long-awaited battle to recapture Mosul from Islamic State militants, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said July 11 as he arrived in Iraq.
Farnborough
As USAF shrinks, officials look for new ways to amass firepower –
The Air Force’s current fleet of aircraft is the smallest and oldest it has ever been, and although a plethora of acquisition programs are slated to update it with new capabilities, service officials are concerned about its ability to control the skies and strike targets at will.
UK announces P-8, Apache buys –
The United Kingdom has officially confirmed a plan to purchase nine P-8A maritime surveillance aircraft, worth around 3 billion pounds, while also announcing a $2.3 billion deal to secure 50 AH-64E Apache helicopters.
U.S. Air Force contracts Raytheon to develop navy-specific decoy –
Boeing has foregone a software fix for its troubled KC-46A tanker, in favor of a hardware solution, the company’s vice-president of defense, space and security, Leanne Caret, revealed on the eve of the Farnborough air show.
Raytheon Coyote to enter next stage of swarming tests –
Raytheon is planning ship-based swarm testing of its Coyote unmanned air vehicle in the coming weeks, under a research program funded by the U.S. Office of Naval Research.
U.S. firms eye ISR, European conversations at Farnborough –
At the 2016 Farnborough International Airshow, American firms are hoping to supplement the usual array of high-end air power options by cashing in on an increased focus on border security in Europe and the Arabian Gulf.
INTERVIEW: BAE Systems CEO ready for Farnborough showcase –
BAE Systems will be showcasing the breadth of its aerospace capabilities during the Farnborough air show, with chief executive Ian King in optimistic mood about its prospects.
Boeing likely to market mysterious trainer outside U.S. –
Whether or not it wins the U.S. Air Force T-X trainer competition, Boeing and Saab are likely to market their next-generation trainer design around the globe.
Cost-conscious South Americans look to the ‘Gripen’ –
Saab is looking to capitalize on its major export coup of the Gripen E to Brazil last year by bringing a mock-up of the new jet to Farnborough while displaying an earlier version of the aircraft at the show.
Program head hints F-35 contract could be announced at Farnborough –
The U.S. Defense Department’s long-awaited contract for F-35 low-rate initial production lots 9 and 10 is in its final stages and may be settled in time for Farnborough International Airshow next week.
Air Combat Command head suggests F-35A approaching IOC soon –
The head of U.S. Air Combat Command said July 7 the Air Force would likely declare the F-35A combat-ready within the “leading edge” of the August through December window for initial operational capability.
Pratt & Whitney proposes Block 1 engine upgrade for F-35 –
Pratt & Whitney is proposing a Block 1 upgrade to its F135 engine, with hopes that the program will be funded in a long-term budget plan starting after 2019, the company’s president of military engines says.
P&W discusses adaptive cycle upgrade for F-35 –
Pratt & Whitney is working with Lockheed Martin on a long-term upgrade for the engine powering the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter that could substantially alter the configuration of the F135 powerplant, P&W military engines president Bennett Croswell says.
Britain selects laser weapons contractor –
Missile maker MBDA has been selected to demonstrate a British capability to field laser-directed weapons, industry sources familiar with the program told Defense News.
Canada may soon find new search-and-rescue aircraft fleet –
Canada plans to select a new fleet of search-and-rescue aircraft by the end of the year, wrapping up what has become one of the longest defense procurements in the country’s history.
Will Brexit affect the Farnborough Airshow? Experts divided –
With the U.K. expected to announce several key aviation defense contracts at Farnborough International Airshow, many are wondering if the impact of the “Brexit” vote will be felt at the show.
Business
The plane that hovers at the click of a button –
The incredible footage shows the Lockheed Martin-built F-35B hovering above RAF Fairford, England.
Demand for U.S. arms exports set to keep growing, official says –
International demand for U.S. weapons systems is expected to continue growing in coming years, a senior U.S. Air Force official said July 10, citing strong interest in unmanned systems, munitions and fighter jets.
Boeing says if Congress blocks its Iran jet deal, rivals’ should be halted too –
Boeing’s commercial jetliner chief said Sunday that if its deal to sell Iran passenger aircraft is blocked by the U.S. Congress, all other U.S. companies that supply to its rivals should be prohibited as well.
Mercury Systems to support unmanned electronic warfare contract –
Mercury Systems has been awarded a $7.9 million follow-on order for integrated microwave assemblies for an unmanned electronic warfare jamming application.
U.S. Air Force urges decision on delayed Mideast fighter jet sales –
A top U.S. Air Force official July 10 urged the U.S. government to speed up consideration of long-standing bids by Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain to buy U.S. fighter jets, citing growing frustration among the key U.S. allies in the Gulf about delays in the process.
Vulcano weapon system to use NavFire GPS –
Leonardo-Finmeccanica’s Vulcano weapon system shells will be using the NavFire Precision Positioning Service global positioning system from Rockwell Collins.
Safran unveils 2-kilogram infrared binoculars –
Safran has unveiled new, compact multifunction infrared binoculars.
Bell eyes German heavylift requirement for V-22 –
Bell Helicopter is touting its co-developed V-22 tiltrotor for the German air force’s heavylift rotorcraft requirement, despite the program having largely focused on only two other options to date.
Defense
State Department and Pentagon tussle over control of foreign military aid –
At the heart of the controversy is whether the State Department will retain its historic jurisdiction over security aid, or whether the Pentagon, which Congress has bestowed with increasing autonomy and resources over the past decade, will eclipse Foggy Bottom in taking greater responsibility for engagement with allied nations overseas.
The U.S. Air Force thinks smaller for spy planes –
The business jets most known for whisking the global elite to meetings, Davos and the Super Bowl may soon have another purpose: finding bad guys.
Air Force faces rocky road ahead for replacing A-10 –
Two years after the Air Force tried to force its aging A-10 Warthog fleet into retirement, officials are exploring whether to procure a potential replacement for the aircraft famed for its powerful defense of troops on the ground.
No done deal: F-35 picks up buyers, but global dominance is elusive –
The Joint Strike Fighter is picking up steam as countries like Denmark sign up to the program. But predictions of what one analyst described as “massive carnage” for alternative fighters appear far less likely, with politics as well as the hefty price tag among the key factors driving some potential customers elsewhere.
Final software load plagues F-35 test jets –
The U.S. Air Force is on the verge of declaring its F-35 Joint Strike Fighters operational after resolving a software bug that caused the jets’ systems to stall out mid-flight and have to be rebooted. But at Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., the development test team in charge of testing each new increment of software is now seeing the same shutdown events in the new Block 3F software — the final load needed to give the F-35 full combat capability.
PAC-3 MSE missile intercepts target in series’ final test –
A Patriot Advanced Capability Missile Segment Enhancement missile — the latest variant of the Lockheed Martin-made PAC-3 — successfully intercepted a target Friday at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, in its last test as part of a full series.
Pentagon finds Navy mismanaged arresting gear program –
Even as the finishing touches are being put on the U.S. Navy’s new aircraft carrier Gerald R. Ford, its new-technology aircraft landing system has emerged as the most worrisome element of several new technologies that are key to the first-of-class $13 billion ship’s design.
Veterans
VA disability backlog tops 70,000 — 7 months after it was supposed to be zero –
More than 70,000 veterans disability claims are currently backlogged in Veterans Affairs processing centers, seven months after department officials missed their public goal of getting the number down to zero.
Post-9/11 vet unemployment at 4.4 percent in June –
Unemployment for the latest generation of veterans rose slightly in June but still remains near record-low levels, government data show.
Space & Technology
Clothes will let you go cable free –
BAE Systems and Integrated Technology Ltd. have together created the Broadsword Spine vest as an alternative to heave portable data and power supplies.
Is Ceres hiding water in its dark spots? –
Scientists from the University of Hawaii and California used images from NASA’s Dawn spacecraft to create a detailed map of the dwarf planet Ceres’ northern hemisphere.
Has China lost control of its space station? –
Satellite trackers believe that China has lost control of its 7.3 metric-tonne Tiangong-1 space station module.