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Military innovation and savings: Go commercial

Military innovation and savings: Go commercial
Military innovation and savings: Go commercial

DoD uses FAR Part 12 acquisitions to save hundreds of millions of dollars in “of a type” systems like civil landing systems with applicability to military aircraft.

Pentagon finally approves F-35 for full rate production after 5-year delay

Pentagon finally approves F-35 for full rate production after 5-year delay
Pentagon finally approves F-35 for full rate production after 5-year delay

The “Milestone C” decision is a crucial moment signifying the department’s confidence in the performance of the F-35 and maturity of Lockheed Martin’s production system, though the plane has been in service for years.

Air Force halves MH-139A Grey Wolf helo buy in FY25 budget request

Air Force halves MH-139A Grey Wolf helo buy in FY25 budget request
Air Force halves MH-139A Grey Wolf helo buy in FY25 budget request

“It’s just about the overall budget of the Air Force and what we’re able to afford and what we’re not able to afford,” explained Air Force acquisition chief Andrew Hunter of the decision to cut the birds.

America’s newest nuclear warhead will cost under $100M to produce, budget docs show

America’s newest nuclear warhead will cost under $100M to produce, budget docs show
America’s newest nuclear warhead will cost under $100M to produce, budget docs show

The B61-13, announced in October, seeks to create a higher-yield nuclear bomb that can be used to penetrate hardened enemy locations.

Honeywell unveils new F-35 thermal management fix as Pentagon hunts for better cooling

Honeywell unveils new F-35 thermal management fix as Pentagon hunts for better cooling
Honeywell unveils new F-35 thermal management fix as Pentagon hunts for better cooling

“Now that we understand that 80 kilowatts is a must-have, it was the mission of: how do we get there, with the lowest impact to the overall airframe?” Honeywell Aerospace’s Matt Milas told Breaking Defense in an exclusive interview.

Pentagon eyes $1 billion over 2 years for Replicator mass drone fleet concept

Pentagon eyes $1 billion over 2 years for Replicator mass drone fleet concept
Pentagon eyes $1 billion over 2 years for Replicator mass drone fleet concept

“There was a debate which … about so-called ‘reveal, conceal’ [and] how much detail we want to put out,” said Under Secretary of Defense Comptroller Mike McCord. “We’re sort of leaning on the side of not disclosing the details…”

Pentagon scales back F-35, F-15EX fighter buys in FY25 budget request

Pentagon scales back F-35, F-15EX fighter buys in FY25 budget request
Pentagon scales back F-35, F-15EX fighter buys in FY25 budget request

Across the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, the Pentagon will purchase 21 fewer fighter jets than originally expected for the 2025 fiscal year, dropping a planned buy of 107 to 86.

[UPDATED] What’s in the Pentagon’s FY25 budget request? Here’s where to find out

[UPDATED] What’s in the Pentagon’s FY25 budget request? Here’s where to find out
[UPDATED] What’s in the Pentagon’s FY25 budget request? Here’s where to find out

Breaking Defense has you covered for all the news of the Pentagon’s fiscal 2025 budget rollout, and this handy landing page of our stories will get you where you need to go.

Air Force wants to retire 250 aircraft as part of $188B FY25 budget request

Air Force wants to retire 250 aircraft as part of $188B FY25 budget request
Air Force wants to retire 250 aircraft as part of $188B FY25 budget request

“We’re very, very fixated on being competitive with the pacing challenge [of China],” said Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall. “I think the budget that we’ve submitted moves us forward — not quite as fast as we would like to, but it moves us forward in the right direction while maintaining current capabilities that are essential to the nation.”

Pentagon emphasizes ‘continuity’ in $849.8B FY25 budget request, amid political deadlock

Pentagon emphasizes ‘continuity’ in $849.8B FY25 budget request, amid political deadlock
Pentagon emphasizes ‘continuity’ in $849.8B FY25 budget request, amid political deadlock

“We kind of depend on having [that] ‘24 bill finish and finish in a way that looks a lot like what we asked for. Otherwise, we’re going to have to go back to the drawing board on a couple of fronts,” said a senior defense official.

EXCLUSIVE: F-35A officially certified to carry nuclear bomb

EXCLUSIVE: F-35A officially certified to carry nuclear bomb
EXCLUSIVE: F-35A officially certified to carry nuclear bomb

The designation marks the first time that a stealth fighter can carry a nuclear weapon, in this case the B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bomb.

Pentagon clears V-22 Ospreys to fly again, but gives few details about fatal November crash

Pentagon clears V-22 Ospreys to fly again, but gives few details about fatal November crash
Pentagon clears V-22 Ospreys to fly again, but gives few details about fatal November crash

Pentagon officials say they have “high confidence” that they can return the V-22 Ospreys to flight safely, but are tight lipped on what they learned about the cause of a crash in Japan that killed eight airmen.

F-22s ‘highest priority’ for near-term fight, Air Force acquisition boss says

F-22s ‘highest priority’ for near-term fight, Air Force acquisition boss says
F-22s ‘highest priority’ for near-term fight, Air Force acquisition boss says

Despite disagreements with Boeing on pricing for the E-7A Wedgetail, Air Force acquisition chief Andrew Hunter said officials still see the radar plane “as a capability that makes sense and that we need to field in the near term.”  

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GA-ASI’s MQ-9B: The right UAV for persistence, power, and performance

GA-ASI’s MQ-9B: The right UAV for persistence, power, and performance
GA-ASI’s MQ-9B: The right UAV for persistence, power, and performance

When assessing the state of the art of unmanned aerial systems, it’s critical to be very clear about what various aircraft can and can’t do – and could never do.