F-35B jets out of Japan make debut at Australia’s Pitch Black exercise
DARWIN, Australia — The F-35 fighter jet is making its debut at the multinational Pitch Black exercise in Australia, with U.S. Marine Corps “B” variants participating in drills there in the lead-up to the main event. The 12 F-35B short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing aircraft were practicing the Corps’ concept known as “Expeditionary Advanced Basing Operations” at RAAF Base Curtin, according to Lt. Col. Richard Behrmann, an operations officer at Marine Aircraft Group 12 based in Iwakuni, Japan. The F-35Bs have been deployed to RAAF Base Tindal, 6…
US Navy: Bonhomme Richard fire deals a blow to the Navy’s designs in the Indo-Pacific
WASHINGTON – The amphibious assault ship Bonhomme Richard , which burned through the night while in port in San Diego, was at the tail end of two years of upgrades supporting the integration of the F-35B , according to Navy documents. That means the Navy will now have fewer options to deploy the next-generation fighter in the Pacific. The Navy awarded the $219 million modernization contract to General Dynamics, National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. in 2018, which had options for up to $250 million. Bonhomme Richard is one of four large-deck amph…
US - Japan: US Ready to Sell 42 F-35 & 63 F-35A to Japan’s at Estimated $23B
WASHINGTON — The United States on Thursday approved a planned purchase by Japan of 105 F-35 joint strike fighters , moving the country one step closer to becoming the biggest foreign customer of the Lockheed Martin-produced jet. The approved package includes 63 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing aircraft and 42 F-35 short takeoff and landing variants, essentially green-lighting the procurement plans spelled out by Japan in 2018. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale, which is worth about $23 billi…
Pentagon awards US$4.1 Bn for 43 F-35s
The Pentagon claimed the cost of the current lot reflects a reduction of 3.6 percent over LRIP VII. More reductions will come into effect in the next batch of production, eventually bringing the aircraft cost to the level of current 4-4.5 generation fighters. Lockheed Martin has been awarded additional a $4,123 million contract, as a modification to the F-35 program, for the production of 43 F-35s under the eighth Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP Lot VIII) lot of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft. The acquisition includes 29 F-35A model…
3-Star Rejects Trump F-35 Slam: 'This Program Is Not Out of Control'
The manager of the Pentagon 's Joint Strike Fighter program said Monday he'll welcome the opportunity to sit down with president-elect Donald Trump and members of his new administration to address his public critique of the F-35 . Speaking to reporters at the F-35's Joint Program Office headquarters near Washington, D.C, Air Force Lt. Gen. Christopher Bogdan addressed Trump's Dec. 12 tweet that "F-35 program and cost is out of control." At a rally in Pennsylvania Dec. 15, Trump expanded on the remark, say…
Japan: Here is the Timeline for Indigenous Fighter jet program
MELBOURNE, Australia — Japan has created a timeline for the development and fielding of its locally made next-generation fighter jet, with serial production set to start at the beginning of the next decade. The Japanese Ministry of Defense presented the draft development plan for the fighter program to a group of lawmakers from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party on Tuesday, which showed that full-scale production is due to begin in 2031. The ministry added that the prime contractor for the program will be selected by early next year, altho…
Royal Navy aircraft carrier will be used by US squadrons
DELAYS to the Royal Navy’s new fighter planes could see US squadrons fly off the new HMS Queen Elizabeth aircraft carrier. The carrier, which will be based in Portsmouth, will be ready by 2017 but there may be a delay of some years before the first British squadron of F35s is operational. According to the BBC, the American Marine Corp may be asked to bridge that gap. A fire in the engine of the American-built Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II in the summer has already delayed the build.
China May Be Building Completely New Kind of Aircraft Carrier, Reports Suggest
Rumors are swirling that the Chinese navy is looking to build a new type of warship. A recently leaked request for proposals (RFP) points to an amphibious assault ship with an electromagnetic aircraft catapult and arresting gear. In a request for proposals posted on July 19 and subsequently leaked on social media, the project is referred to only as “Project XX6,” but observers have been calling the ship the “Type 076.” Judging from some of the details included in the RFP, the Type 076 will be much like the Type 075 landing helicopter d…
Royal Navy Pursues Jet-Powered Carrier-Launched Drone to Fly Alongside F-35
DefenseNews : The UK Ministry of Defence has called for industry input on a short-takeoff-and-landing Autonomous Collaborative Platform (ACP) designed to operate from the Royal Navy’s Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers . Part of Project VANQUISH , the jet-powered drone will fly alongside the F-35B and perform a range of kinetic and non-kinetic missions , including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance , strike , and air-to-air refuelling . The fixed-wing aircraft must be capable of launching and recovering from carriers without…
Turkey's Drone Milestone: Successful Aircraft Carrier Takeoff and Landing Marks Historic Feat for Bayraktar Kızılelma Strike UAV
DefenseNews : Turkey has achieved a significant milestone in its defense technology with the Bayraktar Kızılelma, an advanced unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV), successfully completing its first takeoff and landing on the TCG Anadolu, the country's largest warship. This groundbreaking achievement signifies Turkey's commitment to integrating cutting-edge drone capabilities into its naval operations, further enhancing its strategic autonomy in military aviation. A Game-Changing Development The Bayraktar Kızılelma's successful car…
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