All Department of Defense articles – Page 8
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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.
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NewsPentagon to use artificial intelligence for airspace monitoring near Washington
Following what it describes as a successful 18-month prototype demonstration, the Pentagon now plans to field an airspace monitoring system developed by Teleidoscope that uses artificial intelligence to deliver upgraded visual recognition, identification and warning.
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NewsReplacing F-35’s power-management system would cost $3 billion: Honeywell
The manufacturer of the F-35’s electrical power and cooling system argues that the US government should more actively coordinate with various suppliers to deliver a long-term solution for additional onboard cooling.
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NewsThe Pentagon wants a stealthy UAV to train pilots against fifth-generation fighters
A little-known company in California’s high desert has spent years developing to platform, which aims to replicate the flight characteristics of advanced enemy aircraft like Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 and China’s Chengdu J-20.
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NewsDARPA advances ‘Liberty Lifter’ seaplane competitors with another $40m in funding
The Pentagon’s secretive technology development arm has allocated an additional $40 million to fund continued work on a heavy-lift seaplane demonstrator competition involving General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and Aurora Flight Sciences.
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NewsLockheed to build nuclear-powered spacecraft for Pentagon
The defence aerospace manufacturer won a contract from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and NASA to develop and demonstrate a reusable space flight vehicle propelled by a nuclear thermal rocket engine with substantially improved fuel efficiency over chemical rockets.
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NewsUS competition regulator clears L3Harris to acquire Aerojet Rocketdyne
The proposal by L3Harris to purchase the strategically important maker of rocket motors was approved by the US Federal Trade Commissionon on 27July, after the agency previously opposed a similar bid from Lockheed Martin.
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NewsLockheed delivery numbers falter as Pentagon stops accepting new F-35s
The Pentagon has stopped taking delivery of new F-35s while manufacturer Lockheed Martin completes flight testing for the “Technical Refresh 3” upgrade package, substantially lowering the company’s delivery forecast for 2023.