fighter aircraft

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  • in Industry News, News

    Report: Belgium Issues F-16 Fighter Aircraft Replacement RFPs

    Belgium has kicked off a search for new multirole fighter aircraft that will replace the Belgian air force’s fleet of Lockheed Martin-built F-16 planes, IHS Jane’s 360 reported Monday. Gareth Jennings writes Belgium requested proposals from multiple international defense organizations for the Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed’s F-35A, Boeing‘s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet, Dassault Aviation‘s Rafale and Saab‘s Gripen E. Belgium aims to select a platform in […] More

  • in Industry News, News

    Frost & Sullivan: Defense Tech Modernization Programs Spur US Foreign Military Sales

    A Frost & Sullivan report predicts the Defense Department‘s foreign military sales program will experience a compound annual growth rate of 3.4 percent through 2021 as international government customers move to increase defense spending, update military equipment and respond to regional tensions. The research firm said Monday it found that ground-based air defense, fighter aircraft and tactical vehicle systems are the most requested and delivered […] More

  • in Industry News, News

    Canada Requests to Buy 18 Boeing-Built Super Hornets as Interim Fighter Fleet

    Canada has sent a letter of request to the U.S. government for the potential acquisition of 18 Boeing-made F-18 Super Hornet aircraft to address the need for an interim fighter fleet. The Canadian government said Tuesday the Super Hornets will supplement the legacy CF-18 fleet until the country identifies a replacement aircraft through an open competition. The potential sale will impose Canada’s Industrial and Technological Benefits […] More

  • in Industry News, News

    Jeff Babione: Lockheed in Talks With Potential F-35 Buyers in Europe

    Jeff Babione, executive vice president and general manager of Lockheed Martin‘s F-35 program, has said the company is in discussions with the governments of Spain, Belgium and Switzerland regarding the countries’ plans to buy fighter jets, Defense World reported Friday. “We are starting to see other customers think about the F-35 being added to their fleet,” Babione told […] More

  • in Industry News, News

    China Conducts FC-31 Fighter Jet Flight Test

    China has performed a flight test of the Shenyang Aircraft-built FC-31 Gyrfalcon fighter jet, Business Standard reported Monday. The fifth-generation fighter jet, which costs approximately $70 million per aircraft, is a cheaper version of the Lockheed Martin-built F-35 Lightning II aircraft and is designed to carry weapons that weigh up to 8 tons. FC-31 is the updated […] More

  • in Industry News, News

    Report: Talks Continue on Potential Boeing, Lockheed Fighter Aircraft Production Facilities in India

    The U.S. and Indian governments look to close a deal that will potentially bring the production of fighter aircraft from Lockheed Martin and Boeing to India, the Washington Post reported Monday. Annie Gowen writes Lockheed has proposed to move its Texas-based F-16 assembly line to India, which will make the country the sole producer of the single-engine aircraft that […] More

  • in Industry News, News

    Nikkei: Lockheed, Mitsubishi Submit Joint Response to Japan’s F-2 Replacement RFI

    Lockheed Martin Chairman, President and CEO Marillyn Hewson has said her company and its partner Mitsubishi Heavy Industries have jointly responded to Japan’s request for information on stealth fighter aircraft in August, Nikkei reported Saturday. Sam Nussey writes that Japan is considering whether to develop new aircraft domestically, tap foreign defense companies or just procure additional fighters in the marketplace to replace […] More

  • in C4ISR News, News

    Lockheed, Air Force Complete First F-35 Air-to-Air Kill on Drone; Maj. Raven LeClair Comments

    Lockheed Martin‘s F-35 fighter jet has completed its first live air-to-air kill test on a drone over a military test range off of California’s coastline Thursday. Lockheed said Monday Maj. Raven LeClair, U.S. Air Force test pilot, fired an AIM-9X missile towards an aerial drone target through the use of the plane’s mission systems sensors identification and targeting capacity to track information […] More

  • in Industry News, News

    DoD, Lockheed Eye F-35 Program Savings Through 2 Cost Reduction Strategies

    The Defense Department and Lockheed Martin have unveiled a pair of initiatives that aim to reduce the costs of producing and sustaining the F-35 Lightning II aircraft and weapon system. Lockheed, the primary F–35 contractor, and its principal industry partners BAE Systems and Northrop Grumman will invest an additional $170 million over the next two years in an effort to generate further […] More

  • in News, Products & Service

    Maritime Executive: Elbit Systems Conducts First Torpedo Launch System Tests

    Elbit Systems has conducted initial tests of its torpedo launch system aboard the Seagull Autonomous Unmanned Surface Vessel platform, Maritime Executive reported Tuesday. Tests for the 40-foot self-navigating system were performed off Haifa to demonstrate the system’s capacity to launch a light torpedo munition without targeting. “The test highlighted Seagull’s unique capacity to detect and engage submarines,” said Ofer Ben-Dov, Elbit […] More

  • in Industry News, News

    National Post: Canada Eyes Super Hornet Procurement to Help Fill Air Combat Capability Gap

    Canada looks to procure Boeing-built F/A-18E Super Hornets as an “interim measure” to address a looming capability gap in the country’s military fighter aircraft fleet, the National Post reported Monday. Lee Berthiaume and John Ivison write Canada could replace its military’s aging fleet of CF-18 Hornets with Super Hornets before the Canadian government decides on whether to go ahead with acquisition of […] More

  • in Industry News, News, Products & Service

    UTC Subsidiary Awards F135 Engine Component Manufacturing Contracts to 4 Italian Aerospace Suppliers

    A United Technologies Corp. subsidiary has awarded four Italy-based aerospace suppliers potential 10-year manufacturing contracts worth an estimated $17 million for the production of F135 engine components. Pratt & Whitney has selected Aerea, APR, Mepit and NCM to manufacture the engine components that will be integrated with the Lockheed Martin-built F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft, Pratt & Whitney said Thursday. Cliff […] More