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Lockheed bets on F-35 upgrades to remain relevant in an airpower race with China that favors revolution over evolution US F-35 in a file photo. Image: US Air Force Bested at the next-generation US fighter competition, Lockheed Martin is betting big on turning the F-35 into a “fifth-gen-plus” fighter — retrofitting tomorrow’s tech into yesterday’s jet to stay in the game. This month, multiple media sources reported that Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet announced that the defense giant will not challenge the US Air Force’s decision to award the US$20 billion Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter contract to rival...

These vacationers really raised the roof — but, no, they weren’t partying. Freaked-out air travelers were forced to hold up the roof of a plane after its interior suddenly caved in during a recent trip from Atlanta to Chicago on April 14. “My homie was on a Delta flight and the ceiling collapsed ... Representatives for Delta Air Lines told The Post, “Delta thanks our customers for their patience and cooperation. We apologize for the delay in their travels.” The spokesperson said that the Boeing 717’s “panel was later affixed into place so customers did not have to manually hold...

In Astronauts carefully tell the truth, I noted astronaut Butch Wilmore confirmed Elon Musk’s assertion that he and Suni Williams really were stranded on the ISS, and that Musk offered to bring them home during Biden’s Handler’s Administration but was refused because they didn’t want Biden to look bad before the election. The Biden Administration and the Democrat media went to great lengths to deny they were stranded. Arizona Democrat Senator Mark Kelly’s brother Scott claimed there was always a capsule docked there so they could come home at will. While there was a capsule docked, it was there as...

Chinese airlines have begun returning Boeing aircraft to the U.S., with one 737 Max recently landing back at a Boeing production hub in Seattle over the weekend, according to Reuters. Saturday’s return occurred shortly after China ordered its airlines not to take further deliveries of Boeing aircraft in response to the U.S. imposing 145% tariffs on Chinese goods, Bloomberg News reported last week. A trio of 737 Max 8 jets that were originally being readied at Boeing’s Zhoushan delivery center for two Chinese airlines were recalled to the U.S. last week, according to aviation news service The Air Current, citing...

The Chinese Communist Party has ordered its state-controlled airlines to halt all deliveries of Boeing aircraft, striking a blow to one of America’s manufacturing giants. The directive, reported by Bloomberg News, comes as a retaliatory jab in response to President Donald Trump’s bold 145% tariffs on Chinese goods—a policy aimed at leveling the playing field for American workers long exploited by China’s unfair trade practices. Boeing, the US’ largest exporter, now faces the loss of a critical market. China’s top three airlines—Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern—had planned to receive 179 Boeing planes between 2025 and 2027. This abrupt...

Boeing, a 'top US exporter,' was angling to challenge Airbus' dominance in Chinese market.. Chinese airlines have been ordered not to take any further deliveries of Boeing aircraft in response to the U.S. imposing 145% tariffs on Chinese goods, ... The aerospace company calls itself a "top U.S. exporter" that serves "customers in more than 150 countries." Boeing's year-to-date deliveries show that 18 aircraft have been delivered to nine airlines in China. The country's top three airlines – Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines – have plans to take delivery of 45, 53 and 81 Boeing planes,...

Wilmore gave a near minute-by-minute retelling of what went through his mind when four thrusters on the Boeing-made spacecraft failed while he and Williams were attempting to dock at the International Space Station. The near-catastrophic crisis caused Wilmore to lose full control of the plagued capsule, leaving the seasoned astronauts floating in the vast void of space until NASA’s mission control came to their rescue. “I don’t know that we can come back to Earth at that point,” Wilmore, 62, recalled in an interview with Ars Technica. Wilmore explained that flight regulations typically call for malfunctioned ships to abort docking...

NASA says Boeing's Starliner – dubbed the Calamity Capsule – could fly again, but not before the end of 2025 or start of 2026. The CST-100 Starliner capsule returned to Earth last year with its tail between its legs. It was the capsule's first crewed mission, but the flight was dogged with issues, including problems with thrusters. Managers eventually decided that the safest course of action was to leave the crew on the International Space Station (ISS). The vehicle made a successful landing without a crew, and in the months since, NASA and Boeing tried to work out what went...

ASHINGTON, March 26 (Reuters) - The U.S. Space Force said on Wednesday it has cleared Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab and Lockheed Martin's (LMT.N), opens new tab Vulcan rocket to launch national security satellites for the United States. SpaceX was the first company to handle such missions. "Vulcan certification adds launch capacity, resiliency, and flexibility needed by our nation’s most critical space-based systems," said Brigadier General Kristin Panzenhagen, the program executive officer for assured access to space.

US President Donald Trump announced that Boeing has been awarded the contract to produce the US Air Force’s next-generation fighter jet, the F-47. The aircraft, classified as a sixth-generation fighter, is expected to be the most advanced fighter jet ever developed. "I'm thrilled to announce that, at my direction, the United States Air Force is moving forward with the world's first sixth-generation fighter jet, and nothing in the world comes close to it," Trump said at the White House. .... Snip.... Advanced capabilities and strategic impact The F-47 incorporates advanced stealth technology, artificial intelligence systems, and autonomous command and control...

WASHINGTON — Boeing has won an Air Force contract to develop the first ever sixth-generation fighter, dubbed the F-47, which is seen as critical to maintaining America’s air supremacy over China, President Donald Trump announced today.The aerospace giant’s victory in the Air Force’s Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program is a game-changer for Boeing, whose defense business has suffered billions of dollars in losses in recent years stemming from a series of ill-performing fixed-price contracts. In particular, the win gives Boeing the opportunity to build a new fighter jet at a time when its F/A-18 line is nearing closure, a...

EDITOR’S NOTE: The following report was originally published on July 1, 2024 under the title “As Air Force deliberates sixth-gen fighter plans, much is at stake for Boeing,” at a time when the future of the Air Force’s Next-Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) effort was in question. With today’s announcement that Boeing has won the NGAD contract to build the fighter jet now dubbed the F-47, Breaking Defense is reupping the story, as it gives insights into just how important winning this competition was for the future of Boeing’s defense arm.ST LOUIS, Mo., and WASHINGTON — It’s no secret that Boeing...

A new image of the F-47 was unveiled on the announcement of the contract win. Credit: U.S. Department of Defense

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Boeing's troubled Starliner capsule that left two NASA astronauts on the International Space Station last year may need to fly a third uncrewed test flight before it carries astronauts again, agency officials said as the spacecraft's first crew had to return to Earth on a SpaceX capsule this week. NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who rode Boeing's crew capsule to ISS last year, splashed down on Tuesday in SpaceX's Dragon capsule amidst a lengthy effort by Boeing to fix Starliner's faulty propulsion system, which had caused their eight-day test mission to stretch into a nine-month...

After nearly a year of being stranded in space, astronauts Barry "Butch" Wilmore and Sunita Williams have finally returned home. Wilmore and Williams launched from Cape Canaveral on June 4, 2024, aboard Boeing’s Starliner capsule for its maiden voyage, only to face thruster failures and helium leaks. For safety reasons, the Starliner was sent back to Earth without the crew, and they’ve been stranded on the ISS ever since. It was a great moment to see SpaceX's Dragon capsule splash down Tuesday. The sad thing is that they could have come back sooner. “SpaceX could have brought them back several...

SpaceX's ninth operational crew return from the International Space Station is set to splash down on Tuesday, March 18, at about 5:57 p.m. EDT (2157 GMT).

NASA's Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams undock from the ISS tonight and you can watch their departure live online. Watch live here and read our preview story and read our live updates.

President Donald Trump provided an update on the stranded NASA astronauts set to make their way back to Earth in a social media post on Monday. In a Truth Social post, Trump said that he recently conferred with Janet Petro, the acting administrator of NASA, who is coordinating the return of NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams. "She is coordinating our Team of highly respected Scientists, Space Engineers, and various other ‘geniuses,’ who has agreed to let our Astronauts come home long prior to the two week period originally approved by NASA," Trump wrote. "Janet was great. She said,...

Elon Musk has confirmed that SpaceX’s Starship is set to launch for Mars by the end of 2026, and it will carry Tesla’s humanoid robot, Optimus. @elonmusk Starship departs for Mars at the end of next year, carrying Optimus. If those landings go well, then human landings may start as soon as 2029, although 2031 is more likely. https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1900774290682683612? According to Musk, if everything goes as planned, humans could reach Mars as early as 2029—though he acknowledged that 2031 is a more realistic target. The X account for Optimus replied to Musk’s announcement with just two words: "Hold on." "Starship...

FAA regulations require Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting units to be on site at all commercial airports when a pilot declares an emergency... DENVER — Federal investigators are working to determine what caused an engine fire on American Airlines Flight 1006 at Denver International Airport, which forced passengers to evacuate onto the wing. The fire broke out after the Boeing 737-800 landed and was taxiing to the gate Thursday, prompting a chaotic evacuation that has raised questions about why passengers had to go out onto the wing, why emergency responders were not in position when the plane touched down and...