All Department of Defense articles – Page 9
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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.
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NewsRaytheon wins additional DARPA funding for hypersonic cruise missile
The Pentagon’ secretive Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency awarded an $81 million contract to Raytheon for further test flights of the Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon Concept cruise missile.
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NewsUSA deploys additional fighter assets to Middle East, citing Iranian naval activity
Washington will deploy additional combat aircraft to the Middle East, including fifth-generation Lockheed Martin F-35 stealth fighters, following the attempted seizure of merchant vessels by Iranian naval forces.
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NewsConditions ‘not ideal’ for Ukraine to use F-16s: Pentagon
As Europe awaits American approval to transfer US-made F-16 fighters to Ukraine, Pentagon officials continue to resist, most recently saying Russian air defences would limit the jet’s battlefield impact.
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NewsNine manufacturers to build autonomous ship-based VTOL aircraft for DARPA
Aerospace manufacturers including Northrop Grumman, AeroVironment, AVX Aircraft, Griffon Aerospace, Karem Aircraft, Leidos, Method Aeronautics, Piasecki Aircraft, and Sikorsky will design demonstrator versions of an autonomous ship-based reconnaissance aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing for the Pentagon’s secretive Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency technology incubator.
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NewsPratt & Whitney wins initial F-35 engine upgrade contract
The engine maker secured $66 million in funding to support early stage design engineering and long-lead material purchases for the Engine Core Upgrade programme, which will provide enhancements to the USA’s Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter fleet and billions of dollars in revenue to Pratt & Whitney over the coming years.
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NewsLockheed ignites F-35 propulsion spat with support for new engine
A Lockheed Martin executive speaking at the Paris air show endorsed a full engine replacement for the F-35 stealth fighter, over a less-invasive core upgrade, igniting a spat between the defence giant and current engine supplier Pratt & Whitney on the event’s final day.
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NewsRaytheon seeks to double F-35 power and cooling capacity
Raytheon subsidiary Collins Aerospace recently completed laboratory testing on the Enhanced Power and Cooling System for the F-35 fighter, which the company says will more than double the current capacity on the cooling-challenged jet.
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NewsLockheed describes ‘strong position’ amid US defence boom
Ahead of the Paris air show, the chief executive of defence giant Lockheed Martin sees strong demand for existing programmes like F-35s and F-16s, plus healthy potential for new products amid a defence spending boom.
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NewsOvertaxed F-35 engines rack up $38 billion in extra maintenance costs
US government auditors say a failure to improve output and cooling capacity on the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine powering the Lockheed Martin F-35, while simultaneously increasing the load from heat-producing sensors and radar, has significantly increased wear on the powerplant and the cost of keeping the fifth-generation type flying.
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NewsDefence leaders in Washington warn of debt default
As lawmakers and the Biden Administration debate raising the US government’s borrowing limit, civilian and uniformed military leaders say unpredictable budgets will set back critical modernisation and procurement programmes.
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NewsPentagon to fund expansion of rocket motor production at Aerojet Rocketdyne
The US Department of Defense (DoD) will provide rocket engine manufacturer Aerojet Rocketdyne with some $215 million to modernise facilities and expand production at three sites across the USA.
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In depthLeaked Pentagon documents estimate heavy aircraft losses on both sides of Ukraine conflict
Unverified estimates from classified US government intelligence materials leaked on social media indicate large numbers of aircraft losses for both Russia and Ukraine, including fixed-wing fighters and helicopters.
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NewsPentagon renews Philippines medevac contract with Erickson
The Oregon-based provider of cargo, casualty evacuation and MRO services landed a contract modification worth nearly $15 million on its existing agreement to provide aeromedical support to the US military in the Philippines.
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NewsPentagon selects Australia’s Hypersonix for reusable hypersonic test platform
The Australian firm Hypersonix was selected by the US military’s technology accelerator to produce a reusable, low-angle vehicle capable of flight speeds at or above Mach 5.
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NewsUS military aviators see substantially higher rates of cancer than general population
A congressionally-mandated investigation found, when compared to the general population, US military aviation personnel see significantly elevated rates of cancer, including 87% greater incidence of melanoma for aircrew and 19% higher rates of brain and nervous system cancer for ground crew over a 25 year period.