The Pentagon awarded Lockheed Martin a $1.3 billion advanced payment for the tenth lot of F-35s, but a final deal — originally projected to occur this year — will likely not be settled until 2017, a government spokesman said.
When KC-46 training starts at Altus Air Force Base next year, pilots and boom operators will conduct aerial refueling training together for the first time ever in linked, full-motion simulators.
Canada will explore an interim buy of 18 Super Hornet fighter jets from Boeing, a blow to Lockheed Martin that kicks a final decision on whether to procure the F-35 further down the road.
Lockheed Martin and the South Korean government have cemented a $1.2 billion contract for F-16 upgrades, marking an official victory for Lockheed over previous contract-holder BAE Systems.
The 13 US Air Force F-35s that had been grounded since September because of a supply problem have been repaired and are back in action, the service confirmed on Friday.
The State Department has approved two potential high-profile fighter jet sales of up to 40 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets to Kuwait and 72 F-15QA planes to Qatar.
The Obama administration has made a lot of progress in bringing its space strategy to bear, but one area of opportunity for future leaders is the problem of space debris, said Winston Beauchamp, deputy under secretary of the Air Force for space.
Boeing plans to consolidate its defense and space business by 2020, a move that entails closing several sites and eliminating 500 jobs over the four-year period.
As the healthcare and technology industries kick their research-and-development spending into high gear, aerospace and defense companies’ own R&D funds are expected to remain stagnant over the next couple of years — although a small boost may be seen depending on whether President-elect Donald Trump grows the defense budget.
2017 could be a decisive year for the Air Force’s future fighter jet, as the service begins multiple efforts that will help determine the requirements of its so-called Penetrating Counter Air capability.