Defense Conferences Canceled, Imperiled As DoD Budget Woes Widen

WASHINGTON: In a telling sign of the uncertain economic and spending climate in the defense world – faced with sequestration and the possibility of a year-long Continuing Resolution — at least three defense conferences have been cancelled in the last two months and defense companies continue to pare their participation in even the biggest shows,…

US, Allies Wrestle With Intel Sharing Problems Exposed In Libya Ops

NATIONAL HARBOR: Last year’s Libya campaign revealed painful shortfalls in NATO, including intelligence sharing so molasses-slow that French pilots gave up on waiting for target data from US Predator drones. That’s something the allies are anxious to correct. “In Libya we got away with it. We made do, we had work-arounds, [but] we were not…

US Will Stay Afghan Course, But Not In A ‘Straight Line’: Dempsey

NATIONAL HARBOR: The most senior officer in the US military read poetry, sang (a little), and commented on issues from inside attacks in Afghanistan to leadership philosophy in remarks here today. Gen. Martin Dempsey is a career Army man, but as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff he overseas all the services, and he…

DepSecDef Keeps Pressing On Lockheed’s F-35

NATIONAL HARBOR: If Lockheed Martin harbored any hopes that the Pentagon might not be fully supportive of Maj. Gen. Christopher Bogdan’s critical comments about Lockheed Martin’s performance on the Joint Strike Fighter they were dashed this morning. Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter referred to Bogdan as “Chris” and told the packed Air Force Association conference…

US Won’t Fight China Over Pacific ‘Rock’; PACOM Strives For Strategic ‘Ambiguity’

As China lurches from this summer’s naval standoff with the Philippines to the current war of words with Japan, the US is struggling to reassure its allies without provoking the Chinese. While the administration’s strategic “pivot” or “rebalancing” to the Pacific is framed by some as Cold War II, top military leaders have made clear…

Boeing Plows Through KC-46 Reserve Funding; Sequestration Would Be ‘Near Catastrophic’

UPDATED: Boeing statement added NATIONAL HARBOR: Boeing has been plowing through its KC-46 management reserve for much of the last six months, according to a senior Air Force official. “The burn rate of their management reserve rate has gone up significantly over the last six months or so,” the official told reporters today. While this…

Chinese Air Force Tries Hard But Plays Catch-Up With US; Watch PLA Espionage

NATIONAL HARBOR: China‘s air force is laboring mightily to improve both its planes and its personnel — causing much American concern— but it has a long way yet to go. The People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) is becoming “much smaller but much more technologically sophisticated,” said Phillip Saunders, director of the Center for the…

Air Force Seeks Quick Fixes To Combat Chinese Electronic Attacks

NATIONAL HARBOR: As the US shifts its focus from low-tech Taliban “cavemen” to an aggressively modernizing China, the Air Force has launched an urgent effort to find near-term countermeasures against a foe that can jam sensors, hack networks, disrupt communications, and shut down GPS. “Mostly we’re looking at the next three to five years,” said…

F-35 Program’s Relationship With Lockheed ‘Worst I’ve Ever Seen,’ Says Gen. Bogdan

UPDATED: Lockheed offers official reply to Gen. Bogdan. (8 a.m. Tuesday) NATIONAL HARBOR: The likely new leader of the Joint Strike Fighter program opened what looks to be a new era — at least rhetorically — today offering large dollops of what he called “straight talk” about both Lockheed Martin’s performance and the government’s. Maj.…

Air Force Gives Block 30 Global Hawk Another Year – UPDATED

[UPDATED with Lt. Gen. James comment] WASHINGTON: Northrop Grumman is in talks with the the Air Force to keep the service’s 18 “Block 30” Global Hawks flying through at least September 2013, Breaking Defense has learned. That’s a win for Northrop and its backers in Congress over Air Force budgeteers who wanted to ground the…

Hungary Is Hungry for Hueys; Defense Minister Hopes For ‘A Donation’ EXCLUSIVE

UPDATED: Friday Sept. 14, 6:52 p.m.. WASHINGTON: Hungary’s defense minister, Csaba Hende, went to see Defense Secretary Leon Panetta at the Pentagon today and won praise for his tiny Central European nation’s contributions in Afghanistan and elsewhere in the world. A spokesman, though, said Hende didn’t raise another issue he discussed in an exclusive interview…

Boeing Knocks F-35’s ‘Delays and Delays,’ Touts F-18

ST. LOUIS: Boeing renewed its campaign to bash Lockheed Martin’s F-35 and promote its F-18 fighters today, as the president of Boeing Military Aircraft slammed the Joint Strike Fighter while noting declining defense budgets here and abroad. “The F-35 continues to delay and delay,” Christopher Chadwick told a group of reporters at Boeing’s defense headquarters…

AirSea Office Must Battle Through, Or Fail: Rep. J. Randy Forbes

AirSea Office Must Battle Through, Or Fail: Rep. J. Randy Forbes
AirSea Office Must Battle Through, Or Fail: Rep. J. Randy Forbes

CAPITOL HILL: It has now been over a year since the Air Force and Navy signed a memorandum of understanding for implementing the AirSea Battle (ASB) limited operational concept. Six months ago I wrote that this effort – one that I strongly support – will be critical to maintaining our security commitments in the Asia-Pacific…

BAE-EADS Merger: Big Deal In Europe, Not So Much In US

Today’s surprise announcement that UK-based arms-maker BAE and Airbus parent EADS are exploring a merger — sort of, maybe, if their respective boards approve an extremely complex deal that creates a so-called “dual-listed” entity in which each partner still issues its own separate stock — sent shockwaves throughout Europe and through the commercial aviation industry…