Lockheed holding steady on F-35 production rate, exec says
“It’s not just a single issue," said Lockheed executive Steve Sheehy. “We want to keep our suppliers at a steady rate."
Air Force needs hundreds more fighters, service says
A congressionally mandated review of the Air Force’s fighter force obtained by Breaking Defense finds that as many as 1,558 combat-ready jets are needed to fulfill global obligations, requiring greater procurement of aircraft like the F-15EX and F-35.
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Turning R&D into reality to meet the challenges of the modern battlefield
Knowing when to build on commercial systems and when to develop something new can be the difference between parity and information dominance.
Amid strike, Boeing taking rare step of hiring permanent replacements for union workers
“We've had our first hiring event. We've received hundreds of qualified applicants. We're working through that now,” said Dan Gillian, Boeing's vice president of its air dominance portfolio.
Selfridge is getting new fighter jets. Will the base be ready?
A lawmaker has asked the Air Force about its plans to fund necessary upgrades to the Michigan base, and urged the service to act "swiftly."
National Guard adds F-15EXs, F-35s to $2.4B unfunded wish list for FY26
Additional F-15EXs are needed by Guard squadrons in Oregon, California and Louisiana, the unfunded requirements document states.
Indonesia and Turkey ink deal for 48 KAAN fighter jets
Turkish Aerospace Industries, producer of the stealth jet, said that Indonesian and Turkish defense officials formally signed an agreement for the deal during a ceremony at the Indo Defence trade show in Jakarta.
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GPS: Still the gold standard in global navigation
The GPS network continues to prove its unmatched reliability, and it’s only getting stronger.
Confusion, concern about Air Guard plans follow Trump’s Selfridge shift
“I can say to you right now that there is likely a downstream impact to some other Air National Guard units," an Air Force official said after President Donald Trump upended plans for what planes would go to Selfridge ANGB in Michigan.
Shipbuilding, Golden Dome and munitions win big as GOP unveils $150B bill to boost defense
HASC will take up the bill on Tuesday in a marathon markup session that will allow Democrats the opportunity to amend the measure.
Air Force clears BAE’s F-15 electronic warfare kit for full rate production
The Air Force plans for the system to be integrated by prime contractor Boeing into the F-15E and F-15EX.
As Air Force reviews ejection seat deal, Collins, Martin-Baker gear up for a fight
The Air Force is nearing a decision on whether to recompete an ejection seat contract held by Collins. If the service changes course, it will send shockwaves through the duopoly that fights over every potential ejection seat sale.
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Data overload threatens decisionmakers as autonomy expands
Reducing cognitive overload on warfighters while improving “time to trust” for autonomous systems is a matter of design.
EXCLUSIVE: How the Pentagon (quietly) spent $1 billion of inflation relief money
To help fight inflation, the Pentagon was given $1.05 billion to disperse to industry. Now, documents reviewed by Breaking Defense and interviews with key officials reveal how and why certain programs won out.
Sixth-generation fighter at F-35 costs? ‘That’s not going to happen,’ industry predicts.
“That’s not going to happen,” one defense industry official told Breaking Defense, adding that there are “distinct differences” in design parameters, materials and fleet sizes that drive higher costs for a sixth-generation fighter versus older, more prolific jets like the F-35 and F-15.
Boeing tackling workforce challenges amid F-15EX, Super Hornet production line changes
“It will take time — we’re rebuilding a workforce that needs the experience,” said Mark Sears, Boeing’s vice president for fighters. “For F-15, you can be a good mechanic, but it's mostly about the number of times to do a job that makes you a good mechanic.”
F-35s, frigates and FRA woes: Here are the issues facing Congress in upcoming FY25 budget process
Feeling lost on defense budget matters after the August legislative recess? Breaking Defense has a primer for you.