“The deliberations are still underway, there’s been no decision made. We’re looking at a lot of very difficult options that we have to consider,” Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin said today when asked about the sixth-generation fighter.
By Michael MarrowHypersonics: DoD’s development strategy for missiles
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In what would be a stark reversal for a high-profile program, Gen. David Allvin appeared to include the Next Generation Air Dominance fighter among “choices” the service is still making amid budget constraints.
By Michael Marrow
Malcolm Davis of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute says sales will come “down to cost and capability – how much does GCAP cost in terms of both unit cost and sustainment over the life of type.”
By Colin Clark
After rancorous debate, a new engine for the stealth fighter was already in doubt, but legislation released by congressional appropriators today seemingly puts the issue to rest.
By Michael Marrow
The combination of delaying F/A-XX development and shutting down F/A-18 production may not go well for Navy leadership when they testify to lawmakers.
By Justin Katz
“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.”
By Michael Marrow
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.”
By Michael Marrow
How military GPS is revolutionizing warfare and thwarting emerging threats
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“Like all programs, the continuing resolution has the potential to have an impact. We have not worked through all the details if we had a sequestration scenario,” Pratt & Whitney’s Jennifer Latka said about a stalled budget on Capitol Hill. “What I know now is that our schedule is on track, that we have identified funding to continue, and that’s not to say that that situation cannot change.”
By Michael Marrow
Air Force Lt. Gen. Rick Moore also spoke favorably of investing in “surge” capacity for things like munitions production, though he said the idea may not be popular outside the Air Force.
By Michael Marrow
The Air Force has big plans for 2024, but lawmakers could throw a wrench into them.
By Michael Marrow The joint effort to get a sixth-gen stealth fighter in the air by 2035 is to be headquartered in the UK, while a Japanese official will be the first program leader.
By Michael Marrow
Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said he is waiting for Congress to approve his plan for “several billion dollars” over the next five years for the CCA program.
By Theresa Hitchens
“It’s hard to make large capital investments when your business is not as healthy as it could be or you want it to be,” said Boeing’s Steve Nordlund. “But that’s the time that you also have to make those hard decisions, so you come out on the other side much stronger.”
By Michael Marrow
Strong demand for the Joint Strike Fighter means a production crunch is lurking, a top US Air Force general tells Breaking Defense. But expanding production could be risky business for industry.
By Michael Marrow
