"Because of the size and weight of it, it's relatively easy to move and fit to different platforms. And so that's certainly been discussed a lot," Raytheon exec Alex Rose-Parfitt told Breaking Defense.
Michael Williamson, president of Lockheed Martin International, said non-operators of the F-35 have inquired about building "facilities and repair parts so another F-35 can land at their air bases, be repaired, and fly out.”
Battlefield inventions in Ukraine are already outpacing a joint US-UK counter-UAS effort that is just months old.
The company plans to tap its German-based affiliate General Atomics Aerotec Systems GmbH to produce and customize drone wingmen for European customers.
The pursuit of a new, long-range strike capability had been revealed by London and Berlin, but today marks the first time the two capitals have committed to a timeline.
An artist rendering of the demonstrator, set to fly for the first time in 2027, showcases a design complete with a single cockpit, twin engine, canted twin tail and delta wing blueprint.
“Above all, deep pockets filled with ammunition,” is required, Lt. Gen. André Steur said, “because numbers do matter in the world we live in.”