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Focuses on efforts to enhance the stealth capabilities of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) and other combat aircraft in the United States as of April 23, 2001. Electro-optical target sensor developed by Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin for the JSF.

Reports on testing of the X-35C, Lockheed Martin's demonstrator for its United States Navy Joint Strike Fighter design. Comparison with the Air Force's version of the stealth strike aircraft; Initial test data.

Reports that Boeing and Lockheed Martin are designing strategies to expand the weapons payload of their Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programs as of September 25, 2000. Weapons bay design of the companies' proposed JSF aircraft; Types of weapons being considered by the companies for their JSF proposals.

Reports on Lockheed Martin's becoming of a permanent fixture in the United States Air Force's Big Safari program with the establishment of Detachment 4 in the company's aircraft service division. Assignment of the Compass Call project in 1980 which determines a foe's electronic order of battle.

Reports on Lockheed Martin Corp.'s conduct of a study of special derivatives of its Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) fighter plane for special mission applications centered on electronic attack and use of directed-energy weapons. Contracts required by the company to accelerate development of the aircraft; Key tactical advantage of a JSF configured for electronic attack.

Focuses on a problem to the propulsion system of Lockheed Martin's vertical landing variant of the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Program officials' difficulty in conducting the necessary number of test engagements and disengagements to prove the system's ruggedness; Series of failures; Congressional move to cut JSF funding.

Reports on Lockheed Martin's search for a chief operating officer (COO) to replace Peter Teets who resigned in November 1999. Executives from other aerospace companies who were approached to fill the position; Interest shown in staff of Boeing; Financial problems of Lockheed Martin; Recovery of the company's F-22 program from congressional attacks.

Reports on Lockheed Martin's expansion of the range of its Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) airplane. Short takeoff and vertical landing version of the plane; Potential supply of electrical power to run sensor payloads or a laser weapon; Use of a Pratt and Whitney F119-derivative engine; Comparison with a direct thrust arrangement; Extraction of low pressure, turbine horsepower.

Reports on United States Air Force acquisition official Darleen Druyun's criticisms on Lockheed Martin's handling of the service's programs. Space sector as with the heaviest criticism; Lockheed Martin's competition with Boeing for the Skunk Works' Joint Strike Fighter contract; Complaints about Lockheed Martin's style of combative contracting and negligent subcontracting.

Reports on the United States Congress House Appropriations Committee's decision to divert $3 billion in Fiscal 2000 F-22 production money to other aircraft programs and personnel issues. Impact of the decision on defense contractor Lockheed Martin Corp.; Need for a compromise in the conference negotiations between the Congress and the Senate.

Provides information on the design concept for a cargo airplane developed by Lockheed Martin Corp. Features of the aircraft; Military application of the aircraft; Interest shown by the United States Army on the project.

Focuses on the completion of the basic aerodynamic design of the Joint Strike Fighter planes of Lockheed Martin Corp. Plans of the company on the fighter plane; Tactical advantage of the aircraft; Expectation of the company on the cost of the program.

Offers information on the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) miniature aircraft called `DarkStar,' that was built by Lockheed Martin company. Size of the aircraft; How this type of aircraft can be used; Reference to the prototype MicroStar; Projected costs of the aircraft; Schedule date for the development of the UAV; Views of Jeff Harris program manager for Lockheed Martin.

Reports that Australia could prove to be the launch customer for an airborne early warning version of the C-130J from Lockheed Martin Corp. Motivation to compete for the Australian contract.

Looks at the awarding of the United States' Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM) to Lockheed Martin and McDonnell Douglas. Estimated worth of contract; Confidence of both contractors in sales orders; Types of targets; Capabilities of JASSM; Types of launch aircraft; Contractors' investments and designs; Potential funding problems.

Focuses on Lockheed Martin's envisioned midsize transport called the new strategic aircraft (NSA). The aircraft to rapidly shift between airlift, refueling and air drop duties; The aircraft to spin off derivatives that would embrace several roles; Four basic concepts being investigated by Lockheed Martin; Planned retirement of aircraft giving momentum to Lockheed Martin; Possibility of US Air Force interest in new transports.

Focuses on Uninhabited Combat Aerial Vehicles (UCAV). Why the Pentagon is interested; Lockheed Martin's work on UCAV; Their potential advantages and applications; The two varieties of military UCAV; Estimated cost; Comments of Lockheed Martin's Armand J. Chaput; Other systems Lockheed Martin is studying; High-profile roles for the UCAV.

The article reports that Israel has made a deal with the U.S. aerospace company Lockheed Martin to allow the use of Israeli electronic warfare (EW) equipment on the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The article argues that the deal shows an awareness of limitations of stealth capabilities in aircraft, also noting that the deal will reduce the costs of the aircraft for Israel. Other topics include the JSF's avionics, airplane software development, and system integration.

The article discusses the Lockheed Martin RQ-170 Sentinel unmanned aerial vehicle, examining equipment on the RQ-170 which crashed in Iran which was developed for the F-22 fighter plane. The U.S. Air Force (USAF) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have used RQ-170s for reconnaissance and intelligence operations in Afghanistan and South Korea. The aircraft in Iran carried radar-reflective, infrared-transparent material, a grid-shielded inlet, and a full-motion video (FMV) sensor.

The article discusses the development of the turboprop-powered T-6 Texan II trainer aircraft into the AT-6 light attack aircraft, and its subsequent development as the AT-6B/C. Created by the team of Hawker Beechcraft and Lockheed Martin, it is said to be suitable for advanced surveillance, precision weapons, and network-centric control.

The article discusses F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) jets being built by aerospace and defense company Lockheed-Martin and anxiety that exists among international customers for the planes because of pricing unknowns. U.S. Lieutenant General Mark Shackleford is cited regarding delays in availability of operable planes, while foreign analysts reportedly believe that JSF prices ultimately will exceed U.S. estimates.

The article discusses research by U.S. defense industries firms on radar and other military electronic equipment capable of detecting so-called stealth aircraft military airplanes. Tests of electronic equipment for the F-35 jet fighter conducted by Lockheed Martin are discussed, as is active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars developed by Northrop Grumman.

The article examines procurement of the F-35 jet fighter plane made by Lockheed Martin by Israel's armed forces. Anonymous Israeli government officials indicate that there is considerable debate on whether the country should purchase more than its original order of 19 of the fighter planes. Opponents argue that the money spent on the expensive planes could be better used to upgrade existing military airplanes.

The article focuses on issues confronting Japan in pursuing its F-X fighter competition. Contenders are expecting that a request for proposal will be launched by the end of 2009 or in the first quarter of 2010. If the proposal is not released, it is expected that the program will again experience a further 12-month delay. Four of five candidates emerged as potential contenders for the program and these include Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor, Eurofighter's Typhoon and Boeing's F-15.

The article reports that non-U.S. users are not allowed to modify or replace the classified software that runs the electronic warfare (EW) detection, identification, self-defense and attack systems of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), according to U.S. Air Force Major Geneneral Charles Davis, program executive officer for the JSF. Elbit and Elta, Israeli companies, are railing against being left out of the F-35 program and the ban on competing for a specialized EW system, according to the author.

The article offers information on the capabilities of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) multirole strike aircraft from Lockheed Martin. Its capabilities are based on the concept of low-observable electronic attack (LO EA). The F-35 is being designed to deliver electronic attack with the same ease that it can deliver explosive weapons. It is stated that the JSF will roam well-defended enemy airspace while feeding precision targeting data to distant nonstealthy aircraft with standoff-range weapons.

The article reports on the disbelief of Lockheed Martin officials on the reasons of the U.S. Army for eliminating the C-130J from the Joint Cargo Aircraft (JCA) competition. They are so bemused that the company has filed a protest with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) over the decision, which may have cost Lockheed Martin $1.3 billion in sales or as much as $5 billion.

The article reports that the Indian Navy is on a fast-track acquisition of a multi-mission aircraft to replace its eight aging Tu-142s. Thus far, discussion of the acquisition program seems to be centered on range and endurance issues. The Indian government has accepted proposals to build eight maritime surveillance and anti-submarine warfare patrol aircraft from Lockheed Martin Corp., Boeing Co., Alenia Aeronautica SpA, Ilyushin, Dassault, Embraer Corp., Antonov and Tupolev. If a U.S. winner is selected, the transaction will be subject to U.S. export rules.

The article informs that Australian defense planners will be buying Lockheed Martin Corp.'s stealthy, long-range Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (Jassm). The $544,000 Jassm carries 1,000-lb. class penetrator and blast-fragmentation warheads. The missile will have a data link to permit position updates on moving land or sea targets or retargeting after launch. Australian press accounts say the Indonesians will be upset by the decision, and Jakarta has warned that such missiles could set off a regional arms race.

This article reports that Boeing Co. officials are downplaying the findings of the long-anticipated Pentagon Mobility Capabilities Study (MCS), which stopped short of requiring more C-17s despite an impending production line closure that would start next year. MCS is not the only blueprint for Pentagon spending, and should be considered in a broader context, top company officials said during an October 28, 2005 conference call with reporters. The U.S. Defense Department officials said that the planned force structure for transport aircraft, without adding new C-17s and Lockheed Martin Corp. C-130Js, would be able to handle the military's requirements. Boeing officials are eyeing a potential U.S. Air Force competition for a future light cargo aircraft.

Anew, even larger unmanned combat aircraft and a version of the B-1 that goes twice the speed of sound are among the industry responses to the U.S. Air Force's request for information about a nearterm, long-range strike capability. Boeing led its offerings with a B-1R proposal that would reengine the bomber with the F/A-22's F-119 engines giving it enough thrust to reach Mach 2.0, but leaving it fuel-efficient enough for a 3,000-mi. mission radius. In addition, Lockheed Martin Corp. is expected to offer a variant of a large manned aircraft design, probably one of its advanced heavy-lift, flying wing concepts, that would carry large numbers of extended-range cruise missiles that could be launched from far outside any possible air defense system.

Lockheed Martin Corp. has unveiled the concept for a new assault seacraft that borrows heavily from first-generation stealth aircraft as well as from special operations and attack helicopters. The covert, two-man, high-speed attack and reconnaissance craft is designed to fight off swarms of enemy suicide boats, attack diesel submarines and disable mines, says George Root, director of advanced programs. Lockheed Martin analysts hope will reach 50 kt., is considered to be another defense, Root said.

A drop in research and development funding will become a critical problem for major U.S. aircraft builders by the end of the decade when Lockheed Martin Corp.'s F-35 program will dominate military research, testing and production, according to a new Rand Corp. report. Rand analysts project that the minimum needed to keep a company viable is a RDT&E funding level of $250-500 million annually. Any delays in the joint strike fighter program could slow onset of the R&D funding crisis for Northrop Grumman Corp. and Lockheed Martin for a short time.

This article reports on a partnership between the U.S. National Reconnaissance Office and Central Intelligence Agency to search for long-term surveillance with operationally flexible unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) at a fraction of the cost demanded by space-based sensors and communication nodes. Agency officials expected to examine Lockheed Martin's prototype DarkStar derivative used in Iraq, a new General Atomics design that probably will be called the Predator C and a new Boeing design that is not based on its military-oriented X-45C UCAV.

This article reports on the efforts of Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and other aerospace companies in working on systems to fill U.S. military and government agency needs for improved intelligence dissemination. Bob Mitchell, vice president for advanced systems capabilities at Northrop Grumman, said they are investing in a system they call the Advanced Information Architecture. It is hardware, software and communications capability that can be installed very compactly on any platform, whether it is a Global Hawk, P-3 or MC2A or even a very small, unmanned system.

The article focuses on Lockheed Martin's Minion Unmanned Vehicle is being designed with an even stealthier radar cross section than the F/A-22 Raptor and F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The initial concept of operations is that a two-ship formation would launch and control four vehicles. Since F/A-22s have only one crewman, it is likely that one pilot would monitor the vehicles while the other maintained situational awareness of threats on the airborne battlefield. Nonetheless, the pilot workload is expected to be less than that required for an AIM-120 air-to-air missile launch.

In an attempt to catapult themselves into a competitive position in the U.S. Department of Defense's contest to design and build what could amount to hundreds of unmanned combat aircraft for the U.S. Navy and Air Force, Northrop Grumman Corp. has teamed with Lockheed Martin Corp. to re-create the team that won the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program. Primarily, the plan is to develop a stealthy aircraft that launches about "when the Sun goes down" and scours the battlefield "all night" for targets and information making full use of its 812 hour mission endurance time. Northrop Grumman will first produce two full-scale X-47B unmanned combat aircraft for the Navy under a current technology demonstration program.

Reports that aircraft manufacturer Lockheed Martin has teamed up with Raytheon, SAIC, L-3 and other companies to design and develop a battle management and communications package for the U.S. Air Force's next generation surveillance and intelligence aircraft. Requirements specified for the aircraft; Platform to be used for the development; Contributions of the companies involved.

Outlines the plan of Lockheed Martin to put directed-energy weapons on its unmanned air vehicle concepts in the U.S. Competition of the company with the Navy-backed X-47 unmanned combat air vehicle of Northrop Grumman and the X-45 of Boeing; Features and capabilities of the weapons; Variants of high-power microwaves.

Reports on the executive appointments at Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Joint Strike Fighter program. Designation of executive Tom Burbage as head of the program; Strategic aspects of the program Burbage is committed to pursue; Duties and responsibilities.

Updates on the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) competition between Boeing and Lockheed Martin. Differences between the JSF designs; Cost expectations by the United States Department of Defense.

Reports on reorganization within Skunk Works, the facility responsible for building Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) demonstrator aircraft. Re-assignment of the company's deputy program manager Harold Blot to the position of full-time assistant to Frank Cappuccio, JSF program manager at the plant in Fort Worth, Texas; Reaction of the United States Department of Defense to the move.

Reports on Lockheed Martin's testing of its Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) aircraft as of September 11, 2000. Problem with the aircraft's lift fan for short takeoff and vertical landing; Background on previous lift pan problems discovered.

Reports on the breakdown suffered by the lift fan for the vertical-landing version of Lockheed Martin's Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). Problems of a misalignment in the gearbox and overheating bearing; Shipment of the redesigned part to the company's facility in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Reports on the problems faced by Lockheed Martin and Boeing company, in the race to build the 21st Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) demonstrator aircraft. Information on the cost overruns faced by Lockheed Martin; Airframe redesign problem of Boeing; How the Lockheed Martin's accounting errors are attributed to internal problems at the company's Skunk Works.

Discusses competition between Boeing and Lockheed Martin for the lower-cost airborne early warning and control aircraft (AWAC) market, which was expected to heat up as of August 1996. Boeing's company studies; Lockheed Martin's airborne early warning (AEW) version of the C-130J; Varying price ranges; Countries that are potential buyers of AEWs and AWACs.

Reports Lockheed Martin will build tailkit guidance units to be used in the production of wind-corrected munitions dispensers (WCMD). Ordnance to be carried aboard the WCMD; Types of aircraft that will carry the WCMD; How Lockheed Martin Electronics & Missiles won the contract; Mission of the WCMD.