A-10, Then A-11 And A-12? Air Force Ponders CAS Future

A-10, Then A-11 And A-12? Air Force Ponders CAS Future
A-10, Then A-11 And A-12? Air Force Ponders CAS Future

UPDATED: Adds Ayotte Comment WASHINGTON: The Air Force is considering not one, but two replacements for the aging A-10 Warthog close air support plane. But analysts wonder why, given that the service is already building a new bomber (the B-21), a new tanker (the KC-46), a new fighter (the F-35A), they would want to build two Close…

Raytheon Unveils Its Next Gen Air Force Trainer

Raytheon Unveils Its Next Gen Air Force Trainer
Raytheon Unveils Its Next Gen Air Force Trainer

FARNBOROUGH: For the first time at an air show, Raytheon has presented its offering for the replacement of the T-38 trainer here, the T-100. Thanks to the buckets of rain that keep falling we can’t offer you a photo, but we can tell you the plane is here. We understand the company is likely to make…

Air Combat Commander Bullish On F-35 IOC

Air Combat Commander Bullish On F-35 IOC
Air Combat Commander Bullish On F-35 IOC

RIAT: No roadblocks stand in the way of approving Initial Operating Capability (IOC) for the Air Force’s F-35A, Gen. Hawk Carlisle said here today. The head of Air Combat Command — who is the man charged with ensuring Lockheed Martin meets all the benchmarks for IOC — made clear nothing would happen until Air Force…

‘Flying Coke Machine’ Would Replace A-10, If We Had $: Air Force Chief Welsh

‘Flying Coke Machine’ Would Replace A-10, If We Had $: Air Force Chief Welsh
‘Flying Coke Machine’ Would Replace A-10, If We Had $: Air Force Chief Welsh

WASHINGTON: The Air Force wants to replace the aging but beloved A-10 “Warthog” with a robotic “flying coke machine” that loiters over the battlefield, dispensing firepower at the touch of a button, the outgoing Chief of Staff said this morning. (More on that concept below). Gen. Mark Welsh also wants a “sixth-generation fighter” that can…

How Big Will Boeing’s KC-46 Penalty Be?

How Big Will Boeing’s KC-46 Penalty Be?
How Big Will Boeing’s KC-46 Penalty Be?

WASHINGTON: Boeing blew one of the most important milestones for the KC-46 airborne tanker program last week. The question is, will Boeing be penalized and, if so, how big will the penalty be? The answer, at this point, is it ain’t clear. “The KC-46 contract does not contain pre-defined penalties for missing schedule deadlines,” Air…

Another Boeing Tanker Delay; How Long, Oh Lord?

Another Boeing Tanker Delay; How Long, Oh Lord?
Another Boeing Tanker Delay; How Long, Oh Lord?

WASHINGTON: When Boeing really, truly and finally won the airborne tanker competition by underbidding what was then EADS North America (now Airbus) by at least 10 percent, the chairman of the losing company, Ralph Crosby, said he believed it important that Boeing be watched closely to make sure they delivered at that price and on…

Robot Brains Where & When You Want ‘Em

Robot Brains Where & When You Want ‘Em
Robot Brains Where & When You Want ‘Em

Classic science fiction imagined evil master computers remote-controlling their mindless robot minions. It imagined good-guy droids that were basically humans in tin suits. But as the actual science of autonomy evolves, reality is looking a lot weirder. The user interface may be in an ordinary Android tablet, but the artificial intelligence itself may reside in…

DepSecDef Work Details 2017 Budget: Offset Just Beginning EXCLUSIVE

DepSecDef Work Details 2017 Budget: Offset Just Beginning EXCLUSIVE
DepSecDef Work Details 2017 Budget: Offset Just Beginning EXCLUSIVE

UPDATED: Adds DepSecDef Explanation For Additional LCS PENTAGON: “We don’t have enough money to do everything we want to do,” Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work told me in an exclusive 85-minute interview in his E-Ring Pentagon office. “So what we’re doing this year, Sydney, is we are trying to prepare as many demonstrations on advanced…

Gen. Carlisle Says A-10 Retirement May Slide 2 To 3 Years

Gen. Carlisle Says A-10 Retirement May Slide 2 To 3 Years
Gen. Carlisle Says A-10 Retirement May Slide 2 To 3 Years

WASHINGTON: Sen. Kelly Ayotte, take note. The head of Air Combat Command told reporters this morning that the A-10 Warthog’s retirement will probably slide two to three years thanks to the increased threats faced by the Air Force. Gen. Hawk Carlisle, speaking at a Defense Writers Group breakfast, made it clear the decision hasn’t been…

Dunford Mulls F-35B IOC Decision; 4 Bs Take Out 9 Attackers

Dunford Mulls F-35B IOC Decision; 4 Bs Take Out 9 Attackers
Dunford Mulls F-35B IOC Decision; 4 Bs Take Out 9 Attackers

UPDATED with Frank Kendall’s vote of confidence WASHINGTON: During the Marine’s recent operational readiness test of the F-35B, four of the Marine aircraft went up against nine enemy aircraft. “It went very poorly for the bad guys,” Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, deputy commandant for aviation, told me this afternoon. Davis provided few details, saying they…

No US Military Planes Will Fly At Paris Air Show; Pakistan’s JF-17 Will

No US Military Planes Will Fly At Paris Air Show; Pakistan’s JF-17 Will
No US Military Planes Will Fly At Paris Air Show; Pakistan’s JF-17 Will

WASHINGTON: At least the US military is attending the Paris Air Show in some force this year, but right now none of the American aircraft pictured below are scheduled to fly at the show. Some 90 US military personnel will be on hand to maintain the aircraft and safeguard them. Here’s the list of military aircraft that…

The Joint Strike Fighter Really Is Joint; Fire Caused $50M In Damage

The Joint Strike Fighter Really Is Joint; Fire Caused $50M In Damage
The Joint Strike Fighter Really Is Joint; Fire Caused $50M In Damage

WASHINGTON: Here’s today’s news: the rotor failure that ripped apart an F-35A June 23 last year caused $50 million in damage to the aircraft, the Air Force’s Accident Investigation Board said today. Here’s the official version of what happened to the Air Force’s Joint Strike Fighter. “The engine failed when the third stage forward integral…

SASC Markup Whacks LRS Bomber; Adds 12 Super Hornets, 6 F-35Bs

SASC Markup Whacks LRS Bomber; Adds 12 Super Hornets, 6 F-35Bs
SASC Markup Whacks LRS Bomber; Adds 12 Super Hornets, 6 F-35Bs

WASHINGTON: The Navy won and the Air Force lost in the markup of the Senate Armed Services Committee. Sens. John McCain and Jack Reed presided over the SASC markup of the defense policy bill, cutting $860 million from three Air Force programs — including the two of the service’s top three priorities — and moving the money…

HASC NDAA Mark Challenges White House From A-10 To Iraq To Space

HASC NDAA Mark Challenges White House From A-10 To Iraq To Space
HASC NDAA Mark Challenges White House From A-10 To Iraq To Space

WASHINGTON: If anyone at the White House had hoped the new chairman of the House Armed Services Committee would be more compliant than his predecessor, the defense bill out today should end their illusions. Sure, Rep. Mac Thornberry has consulted closely with the Pentagon and his ranking member on issues like acquisition reform. But Thornberry’s draft…