Free Republic

Lawmakers ask US not to upgrade Pakistan F-16s now Tue Jul 29, 2008 9:43pm EDT By Arshad Mohammed WASHINGTON, July 29 (Reuters) - Two senior U.S. lawmakers said on Tuesday they had asked the Bush administration not to shift $226.5 million in U.S. counterterrorism aid to Pakistan to upgrade Pakistani F-16 fighters for the time being. The Democratic lawmakers, House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman of California and Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, said they feared the plan could hinder counterterrorism efforts and wanted more time to study it. First disclosed last week, the plan has...

Sweden's Gripen competes with the F-35 By BOB COX rcox@star-telegram.com FARNBOROUGH, England — Just a few years ago, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II joint strike fighter was widely viewed as the world’s leading next-generation, high-technology aircraft, with no strong Western competitor. That’s no longer the case. Saab, the Swedish industrial conglomerate better known in the U.S. for performance cars than airplanes, has impressed potential aircraft buyers with an aggressive marketing campaign for its upgraded Gripen fighter jet. Denmark and Norway, two nations that have invested in the F-35, are now holding competitions pitting the F-35 against the Gripen. Denmark is...

USAF Sees F-16 As Bridge Fighter Overseas Jul 16, 2008 By Amy Butler The U.S. Air Force is promoting Lockheed Martin's F-16 fighter as a "bridge" to eventual F-35 purchases by former Soviet satellite states now allied with the U.S., according to Bruce Lemkin, deputy under secretary of the Air Force for international affairs. Lemkin says the single-engine F-16 can smooth the transition from the "MiG 21 culture" to the Lockheed Martin F-35 in nations such as Romania. Bulgaria and Poland have already selected the F-16 for their fleets. And the United Arab Emirates is taking delivery of the most...

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Lockheed Martin Corp. beat out Boeing Co. to win an Air Force contract worth up to $3.57 billion to build as many as 12 next-generation global positioning satellites, the Pentagon said Thursday. The deal is the first of three awards to supply a total of 32 satellites for the Pentagon's new GPS III system. As the manufacturer of the first block of satellites, Lockheed will be in a strong position to win the two follow-on contracts. Col. Dave Madden, commander of the Air Force's Global Positioning Systems Wing, said the Air Force hopes to work with the...

Israel Navy bids for advanced ship By YAAKOV KATZ Looking to upgrade its sea-based capabilities, the Israel Navy has submitted a Request for Proposal (RFP) to the United States Navy for a new missile ship currently under development by Lockheed Martin Corp. The Defense Ministry said that the navy expects to receive a reply by April. Designed for speed, maneuverability and amphibious operations, the Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) was built by Lockheed Martin, according to US Naval specifications as a "Brown Water" ship. It is intended to operate in shallow waters along coasts and in depths that face threats from...

Lt. Col. James "Flipper" Kromberg of the U.S. Air Force became the first military service pilot to evaluate the F-35 Lightning II, taking the aircraft through a series of maneuvers Wednesday on its 26th flight. Kromberg took off from Lockheed Martin's [NYSE: LMT] Fort Worth plant at 11:54 a.m. CST, flew the plane to 6,000 feet and checked handling qualities at 15-degrees angle of attack. He then climbed to 10,000 and 12,000 feet assessing the up-and-away flight-control response. Kromberg also tested the F-35's engine performance and formation-flying characteristics. "The aircraft flew very well, exceeding my expectations," Kromberg said. "I was...

PALMDALE - Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co. announced Friday that they will partner to pursue the Air Force's proposed Next Generation bomber, an effort that will include work in Palmdale. Representatives of the two companies said they will partner to perform studies and system development efforts in anticipation of the Air Force's moving forward with the program in the 2010 budget, with an eye toward flying the aircraft as early as 2018. The collaboration will include work in advanced sensors and future electronic warfare solutions, including advancements in network-enabled battle management, command and control, and virtual warfare simulation and...

L&T, Lockheed in JV talks for developing Mark 41 Vertical Launching Systems 23 Jan, 2008, 0000 hrs IST, Mayur Shekhar Jha, TNN WASHINGTON: India’s defence shield is getting sharper. US arms major Lockheed Martin is in talks with engineering and construction firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for formalising a joint venture (JV), which would jointly develop Mark 41 Vertical Launching Systems (MK 41 VLS) in India. “Co-developing MK 41 VLS will be a further extension of our existing relationship with L&T. As of now, talks are at a very initial stage,” a senior Lockheed Martin official told ET. The MK...

F-16 gets super cruise capability Agencies Posted online: Wednesday, January 16, 2008 at 1000 hrs IST Fort Worth, (Texas), January 16: As the deadline for India's biggest ever defence deal for purchase of 126 new fighter planes nears, US aviation giant Lockheed Martin on Wednesday unveiled a new upgraded version of its F-16 fighter planes with 'super cruise' capability and Active Electronic Scanned Array (AESA) radars. So far, the 'super cruise' capability is only seen in 5th generation fighters F-22 Raptors and it’s just unrolling F-35 joint strike fighters. This capability would impart the fighter with extended range, as it...

US awards contract for F-16 supply to Pakistan By Our Correspondent WASHINGTON, Jan 1: The US Defence Department has awarded a $498.2 million contract to Lockheed Martin Corp to supply 18 F-16 fighter jets to Pakistan. The decision is in line with a senior US official’s assertion that the Congressional restrictions on providing $50 million in military aid to Pakistan would not affect the sales of F-16 aircraft. “The F-16 programme is a Pakistani purchase, their money, they’re buying them,” said Richard Boucher, assistant secretary of state for South Asian affairs. “And our foreign military finance, our military assistance goes...

US proposes Lockheed Martin F-16 sale to Morocco By Graham Warwick US Congress has been notified of the possible sale of 24 Lockheed Martin F-16C/D fighters and 24 Hawker Beechcraft T-6B trainers to Morocco, together valued at up to $2.6 billion. French officials announced in October that Morocco had rejected its offer of Dassault Rafale fighters and selected the F-16, but the notification by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency is the first formal acknowledgement by the US government. The DSCA says Morocco has requested the possible purchase of 24 F-16C/D Block 50/52 aircraft with Northrop Grumman APG-68(V)9 radars and...

Lockheed Martin's first F-35B short take-off and vertical landing Joint Strike Fighter has rolled off the final assembly line at Fort Worth, Texas to enter ground testing that will lead to a first flight scheduled for May 2008. The roll-out was attended by representatives of the customers for the STOVL version of the F-35 Lightning II: the US Marine Corps, UK Royal Air Force and Royal Navy and the Italian air force and navy.Marine Corps Commandant Gen James Conway said the supersonic STOVL JSF will "enable us to operate a fleet of fighter/attack aircraft from the decks of ships, existing runways or unimproved...

Israel Wants JSF As Soon As Possible Dec 16, 2007 David A. Fulghum, Robert Wall and Douglas Barrie Israel plans to keep its aerial domination of the Middle East intact, and that includes buying Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, accelerating its first deliveries, and deciding whose advanced equipment will be packed into the stealthy strike aircraft. A senior Israeli air force (IAF) official says those major areas of concern appear to be on the right track because of an “understanding” with the U.S. officials. Washington’s representatives are more ambiguous, saying that there has been no official change to Israel’s...

The Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has returned to flight with a 55min test sortie on 7 December. And, just over an hour after the aircraft landed back on the Fort Worth, Texas runway, Lockheed launched the F-35 avionics testbed - the CATBird - on a 2h check flight. The first F-35, aircraft AA-1, last flew in May, when a brief electrical failure cut short the aircraft's 19th test sortie. The maiden flight was in December 2006. The 20th flight, flown by F-35 chief test pilot Jon Beesley, tested engine performance and aircraft handling qualities up to 20,000ft in...

U.S. fighter bids for India hit tech-transfer snag Thu Dec 6, 2007 2:06pm EST By Jim Wolf WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A split in the Pentagon over how much cutting-edge technology to share with India is complicating bids by Lockheed Martin Corp (LMT.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Boeing Co (BA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) for a potential $10 billion fighter jet contract. At issue, among other things, is advanced radar know-how India wants as part of any deal for the 126 new fighter jets it plans to buy from one of six global aerospace powerhouses, say current and former Pentagon officials. Detailed...

Taxpayers may pay big F-35 costs By BOB COX Star-Telegram Staff Writer Monday, Dec 3, 2007 Foreign nations are in no rush to place orders for Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, and that threatens to push the planes' rising cost even higher and shrink future orders. The result is that one way or another U.S. taxpayers will likely shoulder most of the cost of getting the F-35 into production, with the bulk of foreign orders not coming until years from now, when jet prices will have dropped dramatically. Lockheed and the Pentagon have been talking with representatives of...

Lockheed Martin Awarded $2.3 Million Contract to Continue Work on Israeli Navy Littoral Combat Ship (Source: Lockheed Martin; issued Nov. 12, 2007) WASHINGTON, DC --- The U.S. Navy recently awarded Lockheed Martin a $2.3 million foreign military sales contract to continue concept and preliminary design work on the proposed Israeli Navy's Littoral Combat Ship (LCS), known as LCS-I. Under the latest contract, Lockheed Martin will work with the U.S. and Israeli navies to develop a technical specification and acquisition cost package for the LCS-I combat system. During the nine-month combat system configuration phase, Lockheed Martin will examine the combat system...

Senators seek boost to F-22 fighter fleet By Andrea Shalal-Esa WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Six senators on Friday urged the Pentagon to increase its fleet of Lockheed Martin Corp F-22 fighter jets, saying they were concerned by development of rival aircraft by Russia, India and China, and the recent grounding of U.S. F-15 fighters. The Republican senators also demanded Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England release three government-funded reports that reportedly call for additional F-22 purchases beyond a currently planned level of 183. The senators cited the recent grounding of the Air Force's 700-plus fleet of Boeing Co F-15s, India's recent decision...

Nuclear Security - Up Against Terrorism and the Black Market This began as a simple search for all news information related to yesterday's story about the attack on the South African nuclear facility: Attack at Pelindaba nuclear facility. However, first up on my search came the story of Asher Karni, an Israeli businessman living in South Africa. While acting as middleman, Asher Karni imported from U.S. manufacturers 200 triggered spark gaps which Karni claimed were to be delivered to a South African hospital. In reality, the triggered spark gaps were going to a Pakistani buyer who was connected to...

Oct 25, 2007 0:56 US to speed up stealth fighter delivery By YAAKOV KATZ In an effort to bolster the Israel Air Force in the face of Iran's race toward nuclear power, the Pentagon has agreed to move up delivery of its newest stealth fighter to Israel by two years, to as early as 2012, The Jerusalem Post has learned. Last month, the IDF announced plans to purchase a squadron (at least 25 aircraft) of the fifth-generation Joint Strike Fighter. That delivery was expected to commence in 2014. During meetings Defense Minister Ehud Barak held at the Pentagon last week,...

Outside View: JASSM in crisis -- Part 1 Published: Oct. 10, 2007 at 2:23 PM By THEODORE GAILLARD UPI Outside View Commentator WASHINGTON, Oct. 10 (UPI) -- When it comes to weapons procurement, the United States is its own worst enemy. Witness the flawed hull design that sabotaged the Coast Guard’s Deepwater fleet modernization effort, the glitch-plagued and crash-marred 26-year development of the MV-22 Osprey headed for deployment in Iraq, and the inexcusable cost escalation in the Littoral Combat Ship program -- triggering cancellation of Lockheed Martin’s follow-on prototype. Then there’s the Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile -- JASSM. In development...

Dassault Aviation to lose Rafale order in Morocco to Lockheed Martin - report September 21, 2007: 02:39 AM EST PARIS, Sep. 21, 2007 (Thomson Financial delivered by Newstex) -- Morocco is likely to order US-made F-16 fighter planes instead of Rafales made by France's Dassault Aviation, La Tribune reported, citing 'several' agreeing sources. The US is said to have offered 36 F-16s made by Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT) Corp for less than 2 bln usd while France was proposing 18 Rafales for 2.3 bln eur, the business daily said. In response to the US offer, the French authorities amended their proposal...

Lack of spares dogs Polish F-16s The Polish air force has integrated the mission control software and improved the availability rate of its Lockheed Martin F-16 fleet, but a lack of spares is hampering further progress. The air force now has 27 F-16C/D Block 52M+ aircraft on inventory and another four will be delivered by year-end, followed by the last 17 next year. But maintenance troubles mean just 16 are available. According to air force commander in chief Lt Gen Andrzej Blasik: "There are 16 airworthy F-16s. That means its availability rate is much better than it was in case...

Israel sets F-35 Joint Strike Fighter specifications By Arie Egozi The Israeli air force has completed a review of its design requirements for a national variant of Lockheed Martin's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, with Tel Aviv expecting to make a decision to buy up to 100 of the US aircraft under a multi-year procurement. Details of the air force's unique requirements remain classified, but are known to include a locally built electronic-warfare suite and a new internally carried bomb to be developed by Israel Military Industries. The general staff of the Israeli defence forces will soon decide how many F-35s...

August 28, 2007 The Cold War might be over, but the underlying strategy that arose with Reagan’s Star Wars missile defense program in the 1980s lives on as the threat of long-range missile attack remains a global concern. Lockheed Martin have just announced successful testing of part of the Missile Defense Agency's “Multiple Kill Vehicle” program designed to be a single-launch platform to neutralize an entire fleet of incoming enemy missiles. Before Reagan’s Star Wars speech in 1983, America’s missile defense system consisted mainly of the simple and scary concept of Mutual Assured Destruction – you bomb us, we’ll bomb...

MARIETTA, Ga., Aug. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT - News) formally delivered the 100th F-22 Raptor air dominance fighter to the U.S. Air Force in ceremonies here today. The milestone aircraft (Air Force serial number 05-0100) will be assigned to the 90th Fighter Squadron at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska."The F-22 is a testament to the skills of engineers and technicians from more than 1,000 companies across America," said Lockheed Martin Executive Vice President and F-22 Program General Manager Larry Lawson. "This delivery marks a significant milestone for the U.S. Air Force and the F-22 program. The Raptor is providing...

A shortage of electrical power on board the carrier variant of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has forced Lockheed Martin to launch a redesign of two key subsystems, even as flight tests are set to resume within the next few weeks. Lockheed engineers discovered in laboratory tests in late 2006 that the F-35C will need 33% more power than its on-board generator can provide. The aircraft's flight-control surfaces are powered by electro-hydrostatic actuators and the electrical system has to meet the condition when all the controls demand peak power in the same instant. The power gap was caused by flawed...

Boeing calls for missile competition By Stephen Trimble Boeing has raised a completely new option for the US Air Force to overcome cost and reliability issues with a competitor's cruise missile programme. The contractor recommends that production of the Lockheed Martin AGM-158 Joint Air to Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) be turned over for competition, according to a statement released to Flight International. "We believe the best path toward that success is to recompete the JASSM configuration and in doing so address both reliability and the cost growth associated with the current programme," Boeing says. The USAF last month launched a...

MARIETTA, Ga., Aug. 1 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin announced Tuesday it has won a new $5 billion order from the U.S. Air Force to build 60 more F-22 Raptor fighters. The total value of the company's contract with the USAF is now worth $7.3 billion. The aircraft will be built through 2011 "at a rate of 20 per year, with deliveries starting in late 2008," Lockheed Martin said in a statement. "The multi-year contract allows us to generate savings for the taxpayer and continue to deliver the most capable aircraft in the world to the men and women defending our...

Link references article which can't be posted here. ~~~~~ As always in the liberal Beltway, no one's ever questioned Fitzgerald's unsupervised free ride and tenure as Special Prosecutor in the Plame/Libby case by his college summer roommate, James Comey, now legal counsel for the giant, Lockheed Martin.

First VH-71 presidential helicopter flies By Graham Warwick AgustaWestland has flown the first test aircraft built specifically for the Lockheed Martin VH-71 US presidential helicopter programme. The aircraft made a 40min flight on 3 July from the company's facility in Yeovil, UK. Under Increment 1 of the programme, three additional test aircraft will fly by early 2008 and five pilot-production VH-71s will be delivered by October 2009 to meet the urgent requirement for a new presidential helicopter. An improved version of the helicopter with increased performance will be developed for Increment 2. This will have uprated engines, a new transmission,...

A scramble for a piece of the world's largest fighter plane deal in over a decade moved into its final stage Friday with India examining the final bids from global weapons giants. Indian defence ministry and industry sources said the choice appeared to have narrowed down to the Russian-built MiG-35 and MiG-29 aircraft, and US offerings the Lockheed Martin F-16 and Boeing F-18. A top defence procurement committee meeting had been expected to result in an announcement of the vendor of the 126 war planes, but an official statement late on Friday only said the tender has been "fine tuned."...

ORLANDO, Fla., June 3 (UPI) -- The display and controls of an Apache helicopter were almost stolen last week after burglars broke into a Lockheed Martin facility in Orlando, Fla. The system, a Terrorist Explosive Device Analytical Center, was later found in some bushes near the facility, The Orlando Sentinel reported. A TEDAC has a small screen and a joystick used to find targets and aim weaponry. newspaper said.

US offers advanced missile system to Navy PTI Thursday, April 26, 2007 16:52 IST NEW DELHI: The United States has offered India one of its most advanced ship-board missile defence systems, capable of tracking and neutralising up to 100 attacking missiles. The equipment on offer, the Aegis ship-board missile system, has the potential of being integrated with country's indegenious missiles like the BrahMos supersonic cruise missile and nuclear-capable Agni missiles. "An American company made a presentation to the Indian Navy in November 2006," Defence Minister AK Antony informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday. "This presentation was made in respect of...

F-22 attractive to Japan as missile threats grow Apr 20, 2007 David A. Fulghum/Aerospace Daily & Defense Report Japanese military officials are eyeing the F-22 Raptor as an antidote to growing regional missile threats, Aviation Week & Space Technology will report on April 23. The Lockheed Martin-built fighter is expected to become a key element in missile defense because it can detect and destroy small cruise missiles and also evade sophisticated air defenses to bomb ballistic missile launch sites. Whether Japanese law might be interpreted to allow the country's Self Defense Force to use the bombing to defend against ballistic...

Take off from any parking lot, who needs a runway! Takes up very little space too! Start price around $1500.

Israel has approached the USA about acquiring Lockheed Martin F-22s as concern mounts about new threats to the country’s regional air superiority. Sources say that the issue was raised during a one-day trip by US defence secretary Robert Gates to Israel last week. Washington has so far not authorised the export of the Raptor stealth fighter, but sources in Israel say this is the first time a “reasonable� request has been made. Among the subjects discussed with the country’s prime minister and defence minister were Israel’s concerns about the USA’s possible sale of advanced weaponry to Saudi Arabia and the...

F-16 can graduate IAF to next generation fighter: Lockheed Martin New Delhi, April 20 : The US F-16 combat jet is best suited to enable the Indian Air Force (IAF) to transit to fifth-generation fighters, says its manufacturer Lockheed Martin, even as it prepares to expand global opportunities for new Indian technologies. The company is also hoping to soon ink a deal for the IAF purchase of six C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft that will be used to ferry personnel of the Indian Army's Special Forces, as also troopers of the paramilitary forces engaged in counter-insurgency operations. The firm has...

Air defense system data possibly leaked 04/02/2007 THE ASAHI SHIMBUN Data allegedly stolen by a Maritime Self-Defense Force officer contained details of an advanced defense system designed to protect a fleet from air attacks, sources said. Kanagawa prefectural police are investigating the possibility that the sensitive information was leaked. The data was found on disks at the officer's home in January. Investigators are also examining whether higher- ranked officers may have been involved because the MSDF sailor's security clearance was limited, sources said. Police said the sailor under investigation is a petty officer second class aboard the Shirane, the flagship...

F-16 fighter best suited for IAF: US official New Delhi: The US has made a strong pitch for the F-16 fighter for an Indian Air Force (IAF) order for 126 multi-role combat aircraft (MRCA) as it is best suited for inter-operability between the air forces of the two countries in the fight against global terrorism, a top official in the American administration says. "I am not here to sell aeroplanes, but I can tell you that the F-16 is the best there is as we attempt inter-operability between our air forces in the global fight against terror," Bruce S. Lemkin,...

WASHINGTON - Senate Democrats are threatening to withhold delivery of jet fighter planes to Pakistan if it does not intensify its campaign against terrorists.Snip."We must never forget the importance of going after the terrorists before they strike," Kerry saidSnipThree Democratic senators — John Kerry of Massachusetts, Christopher Dodd of Connecticut and Joe Biden of Delaware — put the threat in the form of a nonbinding resolution

US Tests New Missile against Russian Tank The U.S. Army and Lockheed Martin have conducted a successful flight test of the Compact Kinetic Energy Missile against a T-72 tank, the Spacewar news agency reported Wednesday. The missile successfully struck the T-72 equipped with enhanced reactive armor at a range of 3,400 meters. The report does not specify whether the tank was hit in the front which has a multi-layer armor or in the side which is less protected. The CKEM is a next generation anti-tank weapon which can be integrated on both current and future combat platforms. The system is...

UAE 'keen on early warning plane' By Ahmed A. Elewa, Staff Reporter Abu Dhabi: The UAE is seeking to order several units of Lockheed Martin's P3 early warning aircraft, according to company officials. "The UAE is absolutely interested in ordering P3s, but until a country is committed to a contract we cannot reveal anything," Robert S. Nasby, Middle East, Africa and Europe regional director told Gulf News yesterday. With the Awacs out of production since 1991, other reliable alternatives are proving to be relatively expensive. "The only early warning aircraft that is still in production in the US is the...

Bangalore air show: Indian combat aircraft order could be split between the MiG-35 and Western types By Siva Govindasamy India might accelerate introduction of advanced aircraft into air force service by dividing contract into batches India could divide its order for 126 multirole combat aircraft (MRCA) into two, with Russia's MiG-35 a front-runner for the first batch of fighters if the plan goes ahead. The move is being considered in New Delhi as one way of inducting advanced aircraft into the Indian air force at an earlier date, and therefore expanding its strategic reach in the region. Indian defence minister...

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] has received a $166 million contract to provide 44 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to the U.S. Army and 16 to the U.S. Marine Corps. Work on the contract will be performed at the company’s facilities in Camden, AR, and Grand Prairie, TX, and is scheduled for completion in February 2009. “The HIMARS system, which is on track for cost and schedule, brings unprecedented capabilities to the modular force…mobility and precision that Soldiers didn’t have in the past,” said Colonel Earnest Harris, project manager for Precision Fires Rocket and Missile Systems. “HIMARS’ mobility and transportability,...

Lockheed Martin [NYSE: LMT] was awarded an $8.7 million contract to develop a Low Profile Mast sensor system for the U.S. Navy’s Virginia Class submarines. The Low Profile Mast system will provide the U.S. Navy with a significantly improved situational awareness capability while decreasing counter detection probability with a system well suited for littoral operations. The state-of-the-art Low Profile Mast electro-optical system – which integrates a compact periscope mast, an electronic support measures system and an advanced imaging system – is a mission package that can be temporarily installed on a submarine when required to support operations and removed at...

The US is offering India one of the world's most formidable shipboard missile systems that has the potential of being integrated with the country's indigenous missiles. There was "some interest" in the Indian defence establishment in the Aegis system but neither has the US made an offer nor has India made any formal request for it, says Royce Caplinger, managing director of Lockheed Martin India, whose US parent manufactures the system. "I am sure though that if you ask for it, you will get it," India Strategic defence magazine quotes him as saying. The feelers to sell the Aegis are...

The U.S. Navy is awarding Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) a contract valued at $654.9 million for fiscal year 2007 production and deployed system support for the Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) program. Work under the contract will include D5 production support, including reentry system hardware, and operations and maintenance to support the readiness and reliability of missile systems, both deployed aboard FBM submarines and at on-shore facilities. “Our work in the coming years will span research and development, design, production, testing, operations and maintenance on this important Navy program,” said Tory Bruno, vice president of Strategic Missile Programs,...

India has sought information on buying what would be its first U.S. military aircraft, six Lockheed Martin C-130J "Super Hercules" cargo planes, U.S. Air Force officials and others said Friday. A request for details of a possible purchase from the Indian defense ministry was delivered to the U.S. embassy in New Delhi, which forwarded it to the Air Force's office of international affairs, said Dewey Mitchell, an Air Force spokesman. "Consideration begins upon receipt of the request," he said in a written reply to queries from Reuters. Two other people familiar with the matter said India had asked about buying...

Japan's F-X delay could open door for Lockheed By Siva Govindasamy Japan could delay selecting the winner of its F-X replacement programme by up to two years because of funding issues, increasing the chances of Lockheed Martin'sF-22 Raptor or the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter in the competition. "Officials from the JDA [Japan Defense Agency] have been saying recently that they are worried about the cost of US troop realignment in Japan. Although nothing has been confirmed yet, funds for the F-X programme could be diverted if they decide that troop realignment is their priority," says an industry official. The JDA...