Lockheed Gets New CEO In June
Marillyn Hewson "will depart the company on a high note, with all of its business units performing well and its share price several times higher than it was when she became CEO," said analyst Loren Thompson.
‘Major Upset’ As Lockheed Ditches Northrop For F-35 DAS Sensor
Northrop Grumman was pushed aside today by Lockheed Martin as it picked Raytheon to build perhaps the F-35's most important sensor, the Distributed Aperture System. "It's a major upset," Richard Aboulafia of the Teal Group said when I asked him to discuss the decision.
The future of Zero Trust
Zero Trust is the Pentagon’s foundation for its modern cybersecurity strategy.
Russia Widens EW War, ‘Disabling’ EC-130s OR AC-130s In Syria
UPDATED: Did Thomas Say AC-130 or EC-130??? Does It Matter? GEOINT: The Compass Call is supposed to be one of America’s foremost electronic warfare weapons, but the EC-130s flying near Syria are being attacked and disabled “in the most aggressive EW environment on the planet,” the head of Special Operations Command said here today. “Right now […]
Trump’s Tariffs May Put Defense Jobs at Risk, Increase Costs
WASHINGTON: The pushback to President Donald Trump’s global steel and aluminum tariffs — announced Thursday — has been swift and blunt. Republicans, Democrats, top defense officials, Trump advisors and trade groups have all made public their misgivings, saying the taxes could actually prove harmful to national security, and end up costing the Pentagon money. But […]
Admiral Takes Helm Of F-35; Good For C Model?
WASHINGTON: I vividly remember Chris Bogdan’s first public appearance as the effective head of the F-35 program. It was at the Air Force Association’s annual September conference in 2012 and he said, very simply and quite passionately that the relationship between contractor Lockheed Martin and the Joint Program Office was “the worst I’ve ever seen.” […]
Coatings Plant Offers Hints On B-21 Production
WASHINGTON: A little Pentagon contract announcement offers the latest indication of the course of the secretive B-21 program. The announcement last Tuesday of a $36 million modification to an existing contract is the key. It’s for a new 45,900 square foot “coatings facility” at Northrop Grumman’s facility at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, CA. […]
The state of play in military space
The military space sector is evolving fast. Get the latest from Space Force and industry officials on what’s next for acquisition, policy and training in a new Breaking Defense eBook.
Trump Vs. Pentagon: Is F-35 Really ‘Out Of Control’?
WASHINGTON: Just hours after the President-Elect tweeted F-35 costs were “out of control,” sending manufacturer Lockheed Martin‘s stock price into a nosedive, the first two F-35s to be based abroad landed in their new home country, Israel. Is the famously hard-nosed Israeli Defense Force deceived about what they’re getting for their money? Or is the […]
Trump’s Pentagon, Trump’s World; Defense Stocks Soar
WASHINGTON: Hope for the best; prepare for the worst. It’s a standard military prescription for dealing with a sometimes hostile and usually unpredictable world. It’s also what an African-American chum told me this morning was his plan for life under President Trump. This guy is a fellow Chicagoan and Cubs fan, so he knows how to […]
Air Force Declares F-35A IOC; Major Milestone For Biggest US Program
UPDATED: Adds ACC Carlisle, CSAF Goldfein, SecAF James JPO Bogdan Comments PENTAGON: Critics of the F-35 warned it was too heavy. They warned its stealth wasn’t good enough. They warned stealth, however good, wasn’t enough against advanced detection methods. They warned its range was too short and its weapons load too light. They warned it was […]
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 […]
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Knowing when to build on commercial systems and when to develop something new can be the difference between parity and information dominance.
Justice Department To Pentagon On Mergers: Back Off
The Department of Justice just told the Department of Defense to back off, and DoD did. It’s a rare public confrontation between two major government departments, especially over a subject as politically volatile as mergers and acquisitions, where the Pentagon had wanted more authority in a process Justice and the Federal Trade Commission currently control — […]
Ohio Replacement Plan Is Good News For Electric Boat
The Navy’s plan for building new nuclear missile submarines — the $80 billion Ohio Replacement Program — tips the balance between the nations’ sub-builders in favor of New England-based Electric Boat. Yes, the “Submarine Unified Build Strategy” carefully allocates work between EB, owned by General Dynamics, and Virginia’s Newport News Shipbuilding, owned by Huntington-Ingalls. Yes, […]
Boeing Defense Leadership Shifts: Logistics Leader Takes Over
AFA WINTER: Boeing Defense, fresh off its loss of the Long Range Strike Bomber contract, is getting new leadership. Chris Chadwick, who led the $30 billion Boeing, Defense, Space and Security Division to its most profitable year ever, is retiring and will be replaced as president and CEO of BDS by Leanne Caret on March 1. Caret […]
Lockheed Drops JLTV Suit; DOT&E Knocks Reliability
WASHINGTON: Lockheed Martin just dropped its suit against the government for awarding the giant Joint Light Tactical Vehicle contract to truck-maker Oshkosh. Why now? “After careful deliberation, Lockheed Martin has withdrawn its protest of the JLTV contract award decision in the Court of Federal Claims” was all the company would say. But it turns out […]