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…

McCain Hammers Commandant Nominee Neller Over Iraq

McCain Hammers Commandant Nominee Neller Over Iraq
McCain Hammers Commandant Nominee Neller Over Iraq

CAPITOL HILL: UPDATE BEGINS The administration’s nominee for Marine Corps Commandant, Lt. Gen. Bob Neller, set off a firestorm from Sen. John McCain this morning. After two hours of an otherwise congenial confirmation hearing, the Senate Armed Services Committee chairman erupted over Neller’s description of the current administration strategy against the Islamic State. That strategy relies on airpower and advisors…

Marines Begin Final Checks For F-35B IOC; ‘On Track’ For End Of July

Marines Begin Final Checks For F-35B IOC; ‘On Track’ For End Of July
Marines Begin Final Checks For F-35B IOC; ‘On Track’ For End Of July

WASHINGTON: A select group of 12 Marines in Yuma, Ariz. began testing the first squadron of F-35B pilots, inspecting their aircraft and checking maintenance procedures and personnel yesterday as the end game for declaring Initial Operating Capability for the aircraft before the end of July. “Initial operating capability (IOC) for the Marine Corps F-35B is…

F-16 Vs. F-35 In A Dogfight: JPO, Air Force Weigh In On Who’s Best

F-16 Vs. F-35 In A Dogfight: JPO, Air Force Weigh In On Who’s Best
F-16 Vs. F-35 In A Dogfight: JPO, Air Force Weigh In On Who’s Best

WASHINGTON: Do dogfights matter in the age of tactical stealth? If an F-16 can outmaneuver an F-35 in a dogfight, does it matter? Does it matter if the earliest generation F-35 can’t outmaneuver an advanced model of the F-16 in an early test? So many questions. We’ll try to answer them because the folks at…

France, Eager To Boost Exports, Touts ‘Combat Proven’ Gear

France, Eager To Boost Exports, Touts ‘Combat Proven’ Gear
France, Eager To Boost Exports, Touts ‘Combat Proven’ Gear

PARIS AIR SHOW: Crowds thronged around the French Defense Ministry pavilion today, chatting with Rafale fighter pilots and the engineers who helped build the planes. It was a most unusual sight, all those civilians — with a fairly high percentage of women — listening intently to and then chatting with the pilots, who also stood in…

GE Jet Sets Record; Will F-35 Get New AETD Engine?

GE Jet Sets Record; Will F-35 Get New AETD Engine?
GE Jet Sets Record; Will F-35 Get New AETD Engine?

PARIS AIR SHOW: Pratt & Whitney has refused to disclose the price of its F135 engines for the F-35 for quite a while, even while Lockheed Martin boasted it would bring down the price of the Joint Strike Fighter to $80 million a copy — including engine. Now we know why. At a Monday briefing…

Textron’s Scorpion Heads To UK For RAF, Royal Navy Trials

Textron’s Scorpion Heads To UK For RAF, Royal Navy Trials
Textron’s Scorpion Heads To UK For RAF, Royal Navy Trials

UPDATED: Adds Details On UK Demos; QinetiQ’s PIlots Will Fly PARIS AIR SHOW: When Textron unveiled the Scorpion I will admit I was a serious sceptic. Where was the market? Who were the likely customers? Why did they spend their own money on such a venture? The first crack in my skepticism occurred when Gen. Hawk…

$5B And 700 High Tech Jobs: Reasons Why F-35 Has Friends

$5B And 700 High Tech Jobs: Reasons Why F-35 Has Friends
$5B And 700 High Tech Jobs: Reasons Why F-35 Has Friends

PARIS AIR SHOW: Critics of the F-35 have long wondered why friends and allies have stuck with the program. It can’t be, they argue, because of the aircraft’s capabilities. It is, they say, years behind schedule, billions over budget and won’t be able to deliver all its weapons for years. Ah, grasshopper, but there are…

From Skywarrior To UCLASS: Back To The Future Of Carrier-Based Strike?

From Skywarrior To UCLASS: Back To The Future Of Carrier-Based Strike?
From Skywarrior To UCLASS: Back To The Future Of Carrier-Based Strike?

WASHINGTON: Overstretched as they are, the Navy’s 10 aircraft carriers remain unequalled icons of American might. But the ugly truth is they’re not as mighty as they might be. The maximum range of carrier-borne strike aircraft has eroded over the last quarter century. Even the Navy’s future fighter, the F-35C, will have an unrefueled range of about 600…

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…

VIDEO Of F-35B Operational Tests Aboard USS Wasp, With Gorgeous Views Of DC From V-22

VIDEO Of F-35B Operational Tests Aboard USS Wasp, With Gorgeous Views Of DC From V-22
VIDEO Of F-35B Operational Tests Aboard USS Wasp, With Gorgeous Views Of DC From V-22

ABOARD USS WASP: When the Marines decided to bring the press aboard the USS Wasp for the F-35B’s first set of operational tests — takeoffs, landings and flights designed to nearly simulate combat conditions — they provided the world with a glimpse of how they will fight using amphibious ships, F-35Bs and V-22 Ospreys. We…

‘Fundamental Change In Direction’ For F-35; Kendall Floats Plan To Buy 450 Planes

‘Fundamental Change In Direction’ For F-35; Kendall Floats Plan To Buy 450 Planes
‘Fundamental Change In Direction’ For F-35; Kendall Floats Plan To Buy 450 Planes

WASHINGTON: As I watched the seemingly endless string of F-35Bs take off from the deck of the USS Wasp earlier this week, I was struck by how routine it all seemed. During eight days of flying, the F-35Bs flew 108 sorties, racking up 85.5 hours, deputy Marine Commandant for aviation, Lt. Gen. Jon Davis, told us on…

Noise Biggest Worry For F-35B On USS Wasp; Marines Fly Through Testing

Noise Biggest Worry For F-35B On USS Wasp; Marines Fly Through Testing
Noise Biggest Worry For F-35B On USS Wasp; Marines Fly Through Testing

ABOARD USS WASP: When you start getting bored during an operational test after watching the seventh or eighth F-35B float down the carrier deck and slip up into the air, you know the Marines and Navy are doing something right — or being very lucky. The six pilots have put their planes into the air close to…