The British Army has revealed that it has been testing a new Lockheed Martin’s unmanned aircraft system called the Indago. “An Indago Remote Piloted Aerial System (RPAS) is tested at the Army Warfighting Experiment (AWE) [the annual British Army innovative experimentation program],” the British Army said in a Twitter post. The Indago is a new vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) small unmanned aerial system (UAS) developed by the Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier Lockheed Martin Corp. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – As noted by the company, ruggedized, backpackable, and rapidly deployable, the Indago system weighs less than 10 lbs., fits within […]
Lockheed Martin
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Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier Lockheed Martin has achieved a milestone with the delivery of the 500th High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, better known as HIMARS. “We’ve delivered the 500th High Mobility Artillery Rocket System – an effort spanning our team and more than 200 suppliers across 35 states,” Lockheed Martin said in a Facebook post Thursday. As noted by the company, in service since 2005, the launcher has demonstrated its capability and reliability throughout nearly two decades supporting U.S. and international partners in combat operations all over the world. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – With its adaptable capabilities and […]
Lockheed Martin Corp., Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier, posted the first public computer-generated graphics of Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon (LRHW). According to the presentation, the new weapon system will consist of four transporter erector launchers (TEL), each installed on a modified M870 40-ton trailer, and command posts. Each TEL will have two canisterized hypersonic weapons at the ready and the unit will have an unspecified number of additional missiles on hand. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – As noted by the company, LRHW will leverage the common hypersonic glide body and introduce a new class of ultrafast and maneuverable long-range missiles […]
Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier Lockheed Martin Corp has released new details about a hypersonic weapons development in support of the focus in long-range precision strike missiles. The U.S. Department of Defense expects that advanced missile and hypersonic vehicle technologies will enhance end-to-end strike force systems, increasing the potential for deterring future threats. As noted by the company, as a result of investing in developing and demonstrating Mach 5 technology for over 30 years, Lockheed Martin is at the forefront of operationalizing hypersonic capabilities, systems and engineering. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – According to the company, it is uniquely situated […]
The U.S. State Department recently approved the potential sale to the Netherlands of more than $241 million worth of PAC-3 missiles. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency issued a press release on September 24, that announced that the U.S. State Department had approved a possible Foreign Military Sale to the Government of the Netherlands of Patriot Advanced Capability‑3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles and related equipment for an estimated cost of $241 million. The announcements say that the Government of the Netherlands has requested to buy 34 PAC-3 Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missiles. Also included are 8 kitted 2-pack PAC-3 MSE […]
Amsterdam claims the Royal Netherlands Air Force (RNLAF) was unable to participate in the US’ NATO-inclusive Operation Allied Sky because its US-made F-35 Lightning II aircraft had vulnerable fuel tanks due to pipe damage of unexplained origins, making them unsafe to fly in thunderstorms. “Damaged pipes have been found on F-35A fighters. These are pipes from the On-Board Inert Gas Generation System (OBIGGS) in a fuel tank,” read a Friday release issued by the Dutch Ministry of Defense. “All countries with F-35As were advised to avoid flights near storm cells and to protect the aircraft on the ground by a shelter […]
On 3 June, the US Air Force issued a request for information to industry, to conduct market research on available technologies as well as conceptual designs for a new drone. Several US defence companies have lined up to present their concepts of a new stealthy drone amid the US Air Force’s efforts to replace the MQ-9 Reaper drone, Defense News reported on Thursday. The Air Force has been using the MQ-1 Predator and later the MQ-9 Reaper, both developed by General Atomics, for the last two decades in the surveillance and strike missions in the Middle East. However, according to the Air Force’s top acquisition […]
WASHINGTON — The most advanced variant of the Patriot missile misfired during a major test of the Army’s air-and-missile defense battle command system against a tactical ballistic missile and cruise missile target, an Army official has confirmed. Inside Defense, on Aug. 24, first reported the failure that occurred at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, on Aug. 20. A Patriot Advanced Capability-2 Guided Enhanced Missile (GEM-T) was used against the cruise missile target, but the Patriot Missile Segment Enhancement (MSE) missile that was intended to intercept the tactical ballistic missile target misfired, Col. Phil Rottenborn, the Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) […]
Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier Lockheed Martin Corp has announced that the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, completed acceptance trials in Lake Michigan. Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) 21, the future USS Minneapolis-Saint Paul, passed several trials including a full-power run, maneuverability testing and surface and air detect-to-engage demonstrations of the ship’s combat system. “LCS 21 joins a fleet of sister ships delivering unique flexibility and capability to the U.S. Navy,” said Joe DePietro, Lockheed Martin vice president and general manager, Small Combatants and Ship Systems. “Freedom-variant LCS are inherently capable to serve freedom of navigation, drug interdiction and humanitarian missions, and with additional capabilities onboarded, […]
Lockheed Martin, the largest recipient of U.S. government contracts, will take part in Ukrainian aviation and defense exhibitions, to be held from 13 to 16 October at the International Exhibition Centre in Kyiv. For the first time, Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier will participate in the upcoming XVI International specialized exhibition “Arms and Security – 2020” and ХII International Aviation and Space Salon “Aviasvit ‐ XXI”, according to International Exhibition Centre. Lockheed Martin is one of the largest companies in the aerospace, military support, security, and technologies industry. Familiar Lockheed products include the F-16 Fighting Falcon, F-35 Lightning II and the C-130 Hercules, however, a greater […]
The U.S. Department of Defense is aiming to start producing a ground-launched system for holding and firing cruise missiles on mobile platforms, such as wheeled trucks and containers. During the visit of U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Arms Control Marshall S. Billingslea with the Strategic Capabilities Office to Lockheed Martin facility was displayed new conventionally configured ground-launched cruise missile system. “This will help ensure the U.S. and our allies in Europe & Asia are able to defend against aggression,” said Billingslea. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – Last year, the U.S. Marine Corps says it needs Tomahawk ground-launched missiles that […]
Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier Lockheed Martin Corp has released the short video that showed battlefield-ready laser system that will enable users to neutralize threats at the speed of a lightning strike. Video shared on Twitter said that at sea, in the air and on the ground, Lockheed Martin is developing laser weapon systems to protect warfighters on the battlefield. Combined with expert platform integration, these systems are designed to defeat a growing range of threats to military forces and infrastructure. The company’s technology today is ready to defend against small rockets, artillery shells and mortars, small unmanned aerial vehicles, small attack […]
On 6 August, the U.S. Space Force has announced that it has shipped fourth Lockheed Martin-built GPS III Space Vehicle (GPS III SV04) to Cape Canaveral. The U.S. Space Force Space and Missile Systems Center successfully delivered the fourth Global Positioning System (GPS) III satellite to Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida, July 14. GPS III Space Vehicle (SV) 04 was safely transported from the Lockheed Martin facility in Waterton, Colorado to Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville, Florida. The satellite was carried aboard a C-17 Globemaster III originating from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. – ADVERTISEMENT – CONTINUE READING BELOW – […]
Pentagon’s No.1 weapons supplier Lockheed Martin Corp. was awarded a contract modification from the Naval Air Systems Command for Airborne Low Frequency Sonars (ALFS). The contract modification, announced Tuesday by the Department of Defense, is worth more than $182 million and covers production, delivery and integration of 24 ALFSs for the government of India; eight ALFSs for the Navy and seven ALFS for the government of Denmark, into MH-60R Seahawk helicopters. The ALFS is the primary undersea warfare sensor of the MH-60R multi-mission helicopter. This integrated dipping sonar system enables the MH-60R to accomplish the assigned ASW missions of submarine detection, […]
WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin said it will compete to build the Missile Defense Agency’s Next-Generation Interceptor designed to protect the homeland against intercontinental ballistic missile threats from North Korea and Iran. The company is “excited to confirm that we are putting in a bid for the Next-Generation Interceptor,” Sarah Reeves, Lockheed’s vice president of missile defense programs, told reporters August 3. Bids were due July 31. Boeing and a Raytheon-Northrop Grumman team have already announced their intentions to compete to develop and field the agency’s new interceptor following the cancellation of the Redesigned Kill Vehicle meant to replace the warhead on […]
WASHINGTON — The bids are in for Canada’s fighter competition, and three companies will go head-to-head for the chance to build 88 new jets. The Canadian government on Friday confirmed that the field is down two to American entrants — Lockheed Martin’s F-35 joint strike fighter and Boeing’s F/A-18E/F Super Hornet — as well as Swedish aerospace manufacturer Saab’s Gripen E. All companies have submitted proposals before the July 31 deadline. The contest is scheduled to be decided in 2022, with the first aircraft delivery projected in 2025. Up to $19 billion CAD, or about $14 billion in U.S. dollars, is […]
WASHINGTON — The Army is still mulling two different paths to build prototypes for its Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft following an industry day earlier this month, but is pushing toward a contract award in fiscal 2022, according to the service’s FLRAA program manager. While the service continues to sift through industry feedback that will determine which road the Army takes, it remains on track to publish a draft request for proposals by the end of the year followed by an RFP in FY21, Col. David Phillips told reporters July 24. The Army chose Bell and Lockheed Martin’s Sikorsky to enter into […]
WASHINGTON — As defense spending flattens, it may be difficult for the Defense Department to further push down the unit cost of the F-35 joint strike fighter, the head of the Pentagon’s joint program office said Wednesday. “Overall, as you’re looking to the service budgets and as you look into the service spend plans, you see that the numbers of aircraft in those years are not rising as they did in lots 10 through 14, but they’re a little bit more flat,” said F-35 program head Lt. Gen. Eric Fick during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing. “Some of the […]
WASHINGTON — Lockheed Martin’s F-35 program head on Wednesday refused to commit to fully compensating the Defense Department for delivering parts not ready to be installed on the jet, which may have resulted in more than $183 million in labor costs. “It’s not all associated with Lockheed Martin performance. There are many aspects associated with [parts that are] not ready for issue,” Greg Ulmer, Lockheed’s vice president for the F-35 program, told the House Oversight and Reform Committee. “I’m committed to meeting with the Defense Contracts Agency and well as the [F-35 program office] to sit down and reconcile the concerns […]
WASHINGTON — After a year of speculation about what would happen to Turkey’s F-35s after the country was ousted from the joint strike fighter program last year, the Defense Department gave its definitive answer Monday evening in a characteristically anticlimactic manner — through its daily contract announcements. The U.S. Air Force will officially buy eight F-35A conventional takeoff and landing jets originally built by Lockheed Martin for Turkey as part of a $862 million contract modification than also contains an additional six F-35As built for the Air Force and modifications that will bring the Turkish jets in line with the U.S. […]
The ongoing negotiations with industry suggest there is still no common ground on the legal framework for costs and risks associated with the next-generation program. Source link
WASHINGTON — Pentagon leaders need “around $10 billion” in the next pandemic aid package to cover defense contractors’ coronavirus-related costs, according to a top defense leader. But it’s unclear how the hefty funding handout will square with Republican skepticism of new deficit spending after already approving aid packages worth trillions. On Monday, Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition & Sustainment Alan Shaffer said the money is needed to cover a host of defense contractors’ coronavirus-related expenses. Without it, the Department of Defense will have to dip into modernization and readiness funds, potentially jeopardizing smaller firms in the defense industrial base […]
The approved package includes 63 F-35A conventional takeoff and landing aircraft and 42 F-35 short takeoff and landing variants, and essentially green-lighting the procurement plans spelled out by Japan in 2018. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale, which is worth about $23 billion, although that number could change during negotiations between the country and Lockheed Martin, which would start after Congress approves the sale. Also included in the arms deal is: 110 Pratt & Whitney F135 engines, associated electronic warfare and communications systems, the Autonomic Logistics Information System, training gear, infrared flares, a performance-based logistics package, […]
WASHINGTON — Air Force F-35 pilots at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., will now be able to step into a simulator and train alongside virtual F-16s, F-15s and other aircraft, a Lockheed Martin executive said Wednesday. Air Combat Command formally accepted Lockheed’s Distributed Mission Training system on June 22 after a final test on June 18 where four F-35 simulators at Nellis carried out a virtual mission with pilots in F-22, F-16 and E-3 AWACs simulators at other bases, said Chauncey McIntosh, Lockheed’s vice president for F-35 training and logistics. “We did originally intend to deliver this in the April timeframe, […]
WASHINGTON — The U.S. Air Force’s long-planned test of an airborne laser weapon aboard a fighter jet has been delayed until 2023 due to technical challenges and complications spurred by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, its program head said. The Air Force’s Self-Protect High Energy Laser Demonstrator program, or SHiELD, had originally planned to conduct its first flight demonstration in 2021, but the test has been pushed two years back, said Jeff Heggemeier, SHiELD program manager for the Air Force Research Laboratory. “This is a really complex technology to try to integrate into that flight environment, and that’s ultimately what we’re trying […]
LONDON — Britain’s Royal Navy took delivery of two new aircraft carriers, but a government report on the ships achieving operational capability has laid bare some obstacles toward making a fully effective carrier strike group. In a report released June 25, the National Audit Office pointed to delays in developing the Crowsnest airborne early warning radar and contracting to build the logistics ships destined to support the 65,000-ton carriers as ongoing problems for the Royal Navy. The NAO also raised questions about future funding. The Ministry of Defence is making slow “progress in developing the crucial supporting activities that are needed […]
WASHINGTON ― F-35 costs are ballooning because Lockheed Martin is failing to deliver parts to the military that are ready to be installed, maintenance personnel told an ongoing House Oversight and Reform Committee probe. The panel’s Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and others said in a June 18 letter to Lockheed’s new CEO, James Taiclet, that the Department of Defense faces “excess costs” because it “must divert personnel to troubleshoot these issues and use extensive workarounds to keep F-35 planes flying.” Because of these issues, DoD has spent more than $300 million in added labor costs since 2015, and it will pay $55 […]
WASHINGTON — The Air Force is on track to finalize a business case for its ambitious next-generation fighter this summer, its top acquisition official said Tuesday, and the results could be a make or break moment for the program. The Air Force wants to radically shift its future fighter program — also known as Next Generation Air Dominance — to a model that the service’s acquisition executive Will Roper calls the “Digital Century Series,” which would use new development techniques like digital engineering, open architecture and advances in software development techniques like DevSecOps to field advanced aircraft more quickly and cheaply. […]
WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand’s military said Friday it will buy five Super Hercules transport planes from Lockheed Martin for $1 billion. The planes will replace the military’s existing fleet of Hercules, all of which are more than 50 years old and have been involved in a series of embarrassing breakdowns over recent years. “Generations of New Zealanders have grown up and grown old with the Hercules, and they know these aircraft are an essential first line of response,” Mark said in a statement. He said the new planes will be able to carry a bigger payload as well as […]
The Navy plans to curtail Super Hornet production in fiscal 2022. It remains unclear, however, whether that effort will be successful. Source link
Lorenzo Guerini said he “confirmed that the program would continue,” after calls from Italy’s Five Star party to halt F-35 purchases for a year to pay for a coronavirus rebound. Source link
“We get parts from all over the place. It’s so crazy,” President Donald Trump said of the F-35 on Thursday. Source link
According to the GAO, the number of F-35 parts delivered late skyrocketed from less than 2,000 in August 2017 to upwards of 10,000 in July 2019. Source link
The latest request for a proposal for the TLVS program is the third iteration, after previous attempts to draft a contract failed. Source link
Raytheon and Lockheed Martin’s joint venture for the Javelin has completed production of its first F-Model of the shoulder-fired antitank weapon. Source link
Dennis Goege previously worked for the German Aerospace Center, DLR, based in Cologne, where he oversaw defense and security research programs. Source link