The political chaos in Israel, with a third general election in less than a year has delayed decisions about crucial aircraft, including the replacement for the old CH-53, whether to buy the V-22 and the urgent need for the KC-46A .
By Arie EgoziThe Navy always planned to add F-35 modifications to its two brand-new aircraft carriers at a later date. But an annoyed Congress wants it done now.
By Paul McLearyBell’s snazzy new demonstration center may be the future of how defense contractors pitch their tech to Pentagon and congressional staff.
By Richard WhittleThe long road the F-35 took to finally being ready to deploy has forced the Navy’s new $13 billion carrier class to leave the plane behind — for now at least.
By Paul McLearyAs a first step, Kochavi wants to increase the capabilities of the IDF’s “Spearhead” units – the special units that hit fast and strong. This part of the plan explains the urgent need for a replacement for the old CH-53 of the Israeli Air Force, as well as for the Bell-Boeing V-22.
By Arie EgoziThe Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) ground forces command want an immediate replacement for the CH-53 . “It is natural that operational needs differ, but this is the task of the highest command to evaluate the needs and make a decision,” a senior Israeli defense official said.
By Arie EgoziOther companies build planes. Other companies build helicopters. Bell’s “secret sauce,” its CEO says, is its aircraft can be both.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.As a boy growing up in the 1950s, I looked forward every year to the new cars and how different they would be from last year’s models. Obviously, I am not doing that in 2019, because the combination of what the frame of the car can deliver aerodynamically interacts with software and advanced materials to…
By Robbin LairdThe House Dems launch the first salvo in what promises to be a long defense budget saga, and they are drawing lines that will be hard to cross.
By Paul McLearyThe Marines are hellbent on fielding the troubled CH-53K helicopter to supply the far-flung island outposts they plan on using against China.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.The thing that delayed Defiant, it turns out, is the same thing that makes it really attractive to the Army.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.Sikorsky and Boeing are saying that their aircraft is taking longer than Bell’s because their design is more inventive — harder, riskier, and more time-consuming, yes, but ultimately better. In particular, while the SB>1 looks like it’ll be a little slower than the V-280, going by the companies’ projections for top speed, Sikorsky and Boeing say their machine will be much more maneuverable.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.One variant, in Army colors, has missile racks sticking out of what was originally the passenger cabin — a conversion that units could potentially install or remove as needed in the field. The other, with Marine Corps markings, is a sleeker thoroughbred gunship with internal weapons bays, stealth features, and folding wings to fit in shipboard hangars.
By Sydney J. Freedberg Jr.
Now that President Trump has signed the fiscal 2019 defense appropriations bill — marking the first time in nine years that defense is not bound by a Continuing Resolution — the broad trend was cuts to Operational and Maintenance (O&M) to fund Research, Development, Testing, & Engineering (RDT&E). The top line was consistent with the…
By Mark Cancian