DTN News - U.K. DEFENSE NEWS: United Kingdom Accepts First International Lockheed Martin F-35

DTN News - U.K. DEFENSE NEWS: United Kingdom Accepts First International Lockheed Martin F-35

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 20, 2012:  The United Kingdom accepted the first international Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning II aircraft in a ceremony today with senior representatives of the U.K. Ministry of Defence and the U.S. Department of Defense.

The Right Honourable Philip Hammond, U.K. Secretary of State for Defence, and Mr. Frank Kendall, U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, represented their governments.

“We are here to celebrate an important ‘first’ among so many milestones associated with the F-35 program,” said Bob Stevens, Lockheed Martin chairman and chief executive officer. “It’s fitting that our first delivery to an international partner is to the United Kingdom, because without sustained British innovation over many generations, we would not have an event to celebrate today.”

The U.K. was the first of eight international partners to join the F-35 program and plans to acquire the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft. 

(Read complete story on Defense-Technology News - Click on link undermentioned)

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/07/dtn-news-uk-defense-news-united-kingdom.html

DTN News - U.K. DEFENSE NEWS: United Kingdom Accepts First International Lockheed Martin F-35

DTN News - U.K. DEFENSE NEWS: United Kingdom Accepts First International Lockheed Martin F-35

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 20, 2012:  The United Kingdom accepted the first international Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning II aircraft in a ceremony today with senior representatives of the U.K. Ministry of Defence and the U.S. Department of Defense.

The Right Honourable Philip Hammond, U.K. Secretary of State for Defence, and Mr. Frank Kendall, U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, represented their governments.

“We are here to celebrate an important ‘first’ among so many milestones associated with the F-35 program,” said Bob Stevens, Lockheed Martin chairman and chief executive officer. “It’s fitting that our first delivery to an international partner is to the United Kingdom, because without sustained British innovation over many generations, we would not have an event to celebrate today.”

The U.K. was the first of eight international partners to join the F-35 program and plans to acquire the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft. 

(Read complete story on Defense-Technology News - Click on link undermentioned)

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/07/dtn-news-uk-defense-news-united-kingdom.html

DTN News - U.K. DEFENSE NEWS: United Kingdom Accepts First International Lockheed Martin F-35

DTN News - U.K. DEFENSE NEWS: United Kingdom Accepts First International Lockheed Martin F-35

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 20, 2012:  The United Kingdom accepted the first international Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] F-35 Lightning II aircraft in a ceremony today with senior representatives of the U.K. Ministry of Defence and the U.S. Department of Defense.

The Right Honourable Philip Hammond, U.K. Secretary of State for Defence, and Mr. Frank Kendall, U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, represented their governments.

“We are here to celebrate an important ‘first’ among so many milestones associated with the F-35 program,” said Bob Stevens, Lockheed Martin chairman and chief executive officer. “It’s fitting that our first delivery to an international partner is to the United Kingdom, because without sustained British innovation over many generations, we would not have an event to celebrate today.”

The U.K. was the first of eight international partners to join the F-35 program and plans to acquire the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) aircraft. 

(Read complete story on Defense-Technology News - Click on link undermentioned)

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/07/dtn-news-uk-defense-news-united-kingdom.html

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Panetta Lauds First International F-35 Delivery To UK

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Panetta Lauds First International F-35 Delivery To UK

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 18, 2012: After a meeting this morning with the United Kingdom’s top defense official, Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta lauded an important milestone in the U.S.-U.K. defense relationship.

Tomorrow in Fort Worth, Texas, British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond will take the first international delivery of an F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Panetta told reporters at a Pentagon news conference alongside his British counterpart.

“The United Kingdom was the first partner nation to join the F-35 program and has been a tremendous partner throughout the development, testing, and the initial production,” the secretary added.

Hammond, who joined Panetta for a working breakfast, said, “I look forward to seeing [the supersonic stealth fighter] in operation later on today at [Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland] and then picking up our first test aircraft tomorrow … at Fort Worth.”

The aircraft’s multiyear system development and demonstration period involves development and testing of the entire aircraft system, including its manufacture.

(Read complete story on Defense-Technology News - Click on link undermentioned)

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/07/dtn-news-defense-news-panetta-lauds.html

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: Israel To Upgrade Air Force With F-35 Advanced Aircrafts

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: Israel To Upgrade Air Force With F-35 Advanced Aircrafts

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - July 9, 2012: Not long ago, a thick cloud of rumors settled on the new, much-talked-about IDF [Israel Defense Forces] acquisition of 20 F-35's, a fighter plane known as the Stealth produced by the American Lockheed Martin Company. There were rumors regarding production slowdowns and delays of the F-35, known as the “fifth generation fighter plane” (in contrast to the Israeli fourth-generation F-16's). The fear is that they will reach Israel very late — too late to serve the IDF in coping with future challenges.

Lockheed Martin officials rarely circulate official statements regarding their planes. Nevertheless, Steve O'Bryan (vice president for F-35 business development) elucidated in an interview with Ma’ariv Magazine, “We will meet the deadline that we set.”

O'Bryan, an F-18 pilot by training, recently visited Israel. Among his duties in Lockheed Martin is responsibility for coordinating details of the business transaction with Israel. In a conversation with him, O'Bryan dissipates the rumors regarding postponement of the planes’ delivery date. “The various delays are not significant with regard to the overall schedule of the process,” he explains. “We will meet the deadline that was set. [However,] it is possible that some of the upgrades will be carried out at a later date in Israel.”

(Read complete story on Defense-Technology News - Click on link undermentioned)

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/07/dtn-news-israeli-defense-news-israel-to.html

DTN News - NORWAY DEFENSE NEWS: Norway Finalizes First F-35 Fighter Order

DTN News - NORWAY DEFENSE NEWS: Norway Finalizes First F-35 Fighter Order

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 18, 2012: Norway today (June 15) commenced the largest public procurement project in its history. The event was marked by Minister of Defence Espen Barth Eide authorizing the order for the first F-35A Lightning II for the Norwegian Armed Forces. 

The decision to move forward was reached following an extended dialogue with the US Department of Defence aimed at securing opportunities for Norwegian industry.

(Read complete story on Defense-Technology News - Click on link undermentioned)

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/06/dtn-news-norway-defense-news-norway.html

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: IDF Moves Forward On Second JSF Squadron

DTN News - ISRAELI DEFENSE NEWS: IDF Moves Forward On Second JSF Squadron 

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - June 12, 2012: The IDF plans to approve the procurement of a second squadron of F-35 Joint Strike Fighters at a meeting of the General Staff later this month that will convene to finalize the military’s multi-year program.

Called Oz (Hebrew for Strength), the new multi-year program is scheduled to go into effect towards the end of the year. Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz will oversee deliberations on the program over the next few weeks and will bring the final plan to the government for approval.

One of the plan’s key elements is expected to be the procurement of a second squadron of F-35s despite reports of possible delays and a rise in cost.

On Tuesday, the US Senate Armed Services Committee questioned the quality of production of the aircraft by Lockheed Martin citing a “potentially serious issue” with its electronic warfare capability.

“The committee is... concerned about production quality and whether it is sufficient to ensure the delivery of JSF aircraft to the US and its allies at an affordable price,” the committee said in a report accompanying its fiscal 2013 defense budget bill.

Israel placed an order for its first squadron of F- 35s in October 2010 for $2.75 billion. Under the deal, Israel was supposed to receive 20 aircraft but the number could drop due to the rising cost per plane. The aircraft are expected to begin arriving in Israel sometime in 2017.

(Read complete story on Defense-Technology News - Click on link undermentioned)

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/06/dtn-news-israeli-defense-news-idf-moves.html

DTN News - CHINA DEFENSE NEWS: China Flies New Stealth Fighter As Problems Plague U.S. Jets

DTN News - CHINA DEFENSE NEWS: China Flies New Stealth Fighter As Problems Plague U.S. Jets

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 17, 2012: The second copy of China’s stealth fighter prototype has just flown at a research facility in the city of Chengdu. The first flight of the J-20 Mighty Dragon with the nose number 2002 doubles Beijing’s stealth test fleet at a time when America’s latest jet fighters are hobbled by cost overruns, labor disputes and lethal design flaws. But it’s far from certain how much, and how fast, the new Chinese jet will alter the military balance.

The challenges for American stealth developers are clear. It has come to light that Lockheed’s F-22 Raptor — the first of the current generation of stealth fighters — is steadily poisoning its pilots owing to a faulty oxygen system. Meanwhile, the F-35 has been delayed by several years and the overall cost to design and build thousands of the new jets has risen by hundreds of billions of dollars. To make matters worse, workers at Lockheed’s F-35 factory have gone on strike, with no end in sight.

(Read complete strory on Defense-Technology News - Click on link undermentioned)

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/05/dtn-news-china-defense-news-china-flies.html

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Program Remains The Centerpiece Of Future Tactical Aviation

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter Program Remains The Centerpiece Of Future Tactical Aviation

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 10, 2012: Senior leaders from the Air Force and Navy affirmed yesterday that the F-35 joint strike fighter remains the centerpiece of the tactical aircraft program and will play a large part in the services’ ongoing modernization plans.

Navy Vice Adm. David J. Venlet, F-35 Lightning II program executive officer, told the Senate Armed Services Committee’s airland subcommittee that the F-35’s basic engine designs were deemed sound and deliverable after a battery of tests and observations over the past year.

“While there is still risk in the program, it is risk-balanced,” Venlet said. “I have confidence in the resilience of the plan to absorb further learning discovery and stay on track.”

Still, Venlet said, the program will “not execute itself,” and will require resources, tools and processes to enable disciplined decisions on development and incremental capability delivery. (Read complete strory on Defense-Technology News - Click on link undermentioned)

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/05/dtn-news-defense-news-f-35-lightning-ii.html

DTN News - JAPAN DEFENSE NEWS: Japan Proceed To Order Initial Four F-35 JSF With Option Of 38 From Lockheed Martin

DTN News - JAPAN DEFENSE NEWS: Japan Proceed To Order Initial Four F-35 JSF With Option Of 38 From Lockheed Martin

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - May 3, 2012: The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress April 30 of a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of Japan for a possible sale of an initial four F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Conventional Take-Off and Landing (CTOL) aircraft with an option to purchase an additional 38 F-35 CTOL aircraft. The estimated cost is $10 billion.

All aircraft will be configured with the Pratt and Whitney F-135 engines, and 5 spare Pratt and Whitney F-135 engines.  Other Aircraft Equipment includes:  Electronic Warfare Systems, Command, Control, Communication, Computers and Intelligence/Communication, Navigational and Identifications (C4I/CNI), Autonomic Logistics Global Support System (ALGS), Autonomic Logistics Information System (ALIS), Flight Mission Trainer, Weapons Employment Capability, and other Subsystems, Features, and Capabilities, F-35 unique infrared flares, reprogramming center, and F-35 Performance Based Logistics.  Also included:  software development/integration, flight test instrumentation, aircraft ferry and tanker support, spare and repair parts, support equipment, tools and test equipment, technical data and publications, personnel training and training equipment, U.S. Government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services, and other related elements of logistics support.  The estimated cost is $10 billion.  

Japan is one of the major political and economic powers in East Asia and the Western Pacific and a key ally of the United States in ensuring the peace and stability of this region.  The U.S. Government shares bases and facilities in Japan.  This proposed sale is consistent with these U.S. objectives and with the 1960 Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/05/dtn-news-japan-defense-news-japan.html

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Fighter Jet’s Skyrocketing Costs Are On Congress’ Radar

DTN News - DEFENSE NEWS: Fighter Jet’s Skyrocketing Costs Are On Congress’ Radar

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 22, 2012: The radar-evading F-35 fighter jet, a nearly $400-billion weapons program under development for more than a decade, is facing its worst turbulence since Washington decided to buy it in 2001 — when it was billed as the most affordable, lethal and survivable military aircraft ever built for the U.S. and its allies.

A two-star general serving as the military's project manager was fired over the program's never-ending problems. The Pentagon has delayed orders of the aircraft, and the fighter jet is caught in the middle of a major spending fight in Congress. What's more, the plane has roiled political debate in Canada, the Netherlands and other allies that are picking up 10% of the development costs.

GRAPHIC: F-35 joint strike fighter

The Obama administration wants to delay the purchase of 179 jets to save $15 billion. But there is pressure to cut more. Next week, the Pentagon's F-35 program manager is set to testify before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Although much of the debate is taking place in Washington, the melodrama is being closely watched in Southern California, where much is at stake. Only last week, executives of F-35 maker Lockheed Martin Corp. made an appearance in El Segundo to remind local businesses and aerospace workers that the F-35 will have a huge financial effect in the years to come — pumping an estimated $6 billion into the state's economy and creating 27,000 jobs.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/04/dtn-news-defense-news-fighter-jets.html

DTN News - BRITISH DEFENSE NEWS: The SDSR Is A Slash-And-Burn Campaign Plan - And It's Time The Government Admitted It

DTN News - BRITISH DEFENSE NEWS: The SDSR Is A Slash-And-Burn Campaign Plan - And It's Time The Government Admitted It

(NSI News Source Info) TORONTO, Canada - April 10, 2012: Four days ago I wrote, in respect of the Falkland Islands but with relevance to all British interests in the wider sense:

'The most effective deterrent of all, the true guardian of the Islands‘ security, is British clarity of vision, rational national defence policies, and consistently unambiguous and fudge-free ministerial communication. Those are issues this blog will examine during the next few months.'

Our theme for this, Rational Defence First, is linked to Effects-Based Financing (EBF) and to unwavering insistence on Integrity as the principal virtue of our national leaders. That integrity must include the willingness to admit incapacity, to acknowledge failure, and to surrender office to others better qualified in knowledge, experience and skill.

So where, amid what defence analysts recognise as a truly appalling political, economic and military situation, should we begin? If we are to concentrate on what has happened and will happen under the present coalition government (treating the dreadful years of Mr Brown’s stewardship, about which we can do little now, as merely the platform for future disasters we can still avert), then the obvious place to begin is this government’s Strategic Defence and Security Review, the SDSR (or, as it is known among defence analysts, the Suicidal Disarmament and Surrender Retreat).      

Fair-minded readers may ask whether the selection of such a defenceless target can be justifed? Perhaps it seems like bullying, but effectively the target has been chosen for us by the government’s own insistence that the SDSR will not be amended (even while ministers surreptitiously seek to do just that as the true horror of their position, and of the nation’s military weakness, sinks into the government’s addled corporate brain). 

Despite its condemnation by a host of defence experts, highly qualified by experience, especially by members of the United Kingdom National Defence Association (UKNDA), whose criticisms are countered solely by personal smears (but while the MoD employs a battalion of PR spin doctors they may as well be used, no?), and despite the mounting evidence of the SDSR’s irrelevance, the government refuses to budge from its obtuse stance.

http://defense-technologynews.blogspot.ca/2012/04/dtn-news-british-defense-news-sdsr-is.html