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This article reports that the United States Air Force has closed the gap for the number of fighter planes that it requires. This result was not achieved by purchasing more planes, but it is the result of a planned purchase of a smaller number of Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, planes that have more capability than the planes they will replace.

This article presents information about the successful testing of a a vertical takeoff and landing of Lockheed Martin's F-35B fighter plane. Test pilot Graham Tomlinson was amazed at how easily the plane handled both the takeoff and landing. The test was important in showing the military capabilities of the plane for the U.S. Marine Corps and Great Britain and Italian forces. Also, Israel is expected to be one of the early purchasers of the plane, but the high price could be prohibitive.

The article reports that despite funding issues, Lockheed Martin is proceeding with development and early planning for production of the Medium-Extended Air Defense System (MEADS). The $19-billion air and missile defense program is being jointly developed by the U.S., Germany and Italy. But, as with any multinational effort, the program is overseen by a large and cumbersome management structure, causing some frustration on the part of the U.S. Army, which manages Washington's contribution to the program.

The article reports on the concepts of operation and spiral development road map being examined by the U.S. Marine Corps to secure the F-35's place at the center of its electronic warfare and electronic attack capability. One of the concepts being examined is the use of the aircraft's APG-81 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar. It is being suggested that Lockheed Martin should be the provider of a successor electronic warfare and electronic attack (EW/EA) capability to the EA-6B Prowler/ALQ-99 combination.

The article reports on a new procurement strategy for flight test targets being considered by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. The move is in line with the agency's effort to increase its focus to counter regional and theater missiles, as well as to engage threats in the ascent phase of flight. Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, Orbital Sciences and Lockheed Martin are some of the companies that have responded to requests for information in an approach to target acquisition.

The article reports on the plan of the U.S. Navy to reprogram funds in fiscal 2009 to boost production of Lockheed Martin F-35C electronic warfare aircraft. Such move demonstrates the service's commitment to keep its carrier variant of the Joint Strike Fighter on track. The service even prepared the paperwork to move an estimated $40 million from other programs to make up the shortfall in F-35C long-lead funding and keep test plans intact.

The article reports on the completion of the acoustic and vibration testing for the first U.S. Air Force Space-Based Infrared System (Sbirs) spacecraft bound for geosynchronous (GEO) orbit on October 17, 2008 at Lockheed Martin's Sunnyvale, California. Sbirs prime contractor Lockheed Martin delivered an interim block of software that will be used for Baseline Integrated System Testing, which is required to characterize the performance of GEO-1 prior to launch.

The article reports that Lockheed Martin is expecting to fly its Advanced Composite Cargo Aircraft (ACCA) X-plane in the summer of 2009. The company's aircraft launch demonstrates the ability to quickly craft a fuselage from composite materials with far fewer parts than structures. The June 2009 date is a delayed schedule from earlier plans to fly the heavily modified Dornier 328JET in September 2008. The delay is due to the extra time needed to fully understand the processes required to manufacture the composite parts.

The article focuses on the large infrared focal plane array (FPA) of the U.S. Missile Defense Agency's Multiple Kill Vehicle (MKV). This 512 X 512-pixel mercury cadmium telluride FPA is considered a linchpin for the success of Lockheed Martin's MKV-L design, requiring a central carrier vehicle that will deploy many smaller kill vehicles to attack targets in space. The Missile Defense Agency (MDA) recently enlisted Raytheon to develop a different, competing design for an MKV, assuring it will have options when the capability is needed.

The article reports on a partnership between Boeing and Lockheed Martin to compete for the U.S. Air Force's next-generation bomber work. Frank Cappuccio, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, and Darryl Davis, president of Boeing Advanced Systems, insist their companies will take the unprecedented step of sharing sensitive proprietary data on stealth technologies. Davis and Cappuccio say they are building from the collaboration between the two companies on the stealthy F-22 Raptor.

This article explains that exchange rates are emerging as a financial issue for the U.S. Joint Strike Fighter. The weak dollar/strong pound discrepancy is posing a considerable challenge, compounded by a strong euro. The U.K. is the U.S.'s only Level One collaborative partner in the Lockheed Martin F-35 program. The problem has become serious to the extent that Lockheed Martin, the prime contractor of the F-35 program is negotiating with the government o try to "deal with the currency risk.

The article reports on the renewed bidding for the U.S. Air Force's Combat Search and Rescue-X (CSAR-X) program following protests from losing bidders Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin/AugustaWestland. It is stated that this new bidding allows these contractors to submit new data, including information on past performance or technology developments that has changed since the 2006 competition. Air Force acquisition chief Sue Payton said that officials from the U.S. Army and Navy will help to judge the new proposals.

The article reports on the overhaul of the satellite communication infrastructure of the U.S. Department of Defense. After years of delays, cost overruns and technical challenges, the U.S. Air Force is expecting to launch two new military satellite systems. The first of the two, launch of Boeing's Wideband Global Satcom satellite will begin to recapitalize Pentagon's mainstay Defense Satellite Communications System. The second milestone will be the launch of Lockheed Martin's Advanced Extremely High Frequency satellite system.

The article reports that Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin are teaming up for unmanned combat aerial system (UCAS) demonstration. The U.S. Navy is accepting applications for UCAS vehicles that can show a capability to operate from carriers. For this reason, Northrop Grumman is expected to provide two UCAS-D aircraft, while its Joint Strike Fighter partner, Lockheed Martin, is working with the leading edges of the aircraft, engine inlet and is providing the systems integration.

The article reports on the decision of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) to fully reopen the bid for the Combat Search and Rescue program in compliance with the proposal of the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). The GAO decision resulted from protests from Lockheed Martin and Sikorsky, and their respective US101 and S-92 versions, after USAF awarded a $712-million development contract to Boeing for the CH-47 variant in November. The report of GAO on its decision was released March 7, 2007.

The article reports that the shift in aircraft design toward stealthy, radar-scattering structures is pushing the communications antenna industry to continue advancing designs of conformal antennas. Applications are now being developed and fielded for the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, Navy ships and even ground vehicles used by the Marine Corps. Ball Aerospace, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman are exploring how to add applications to their arrays.

The article reports on the reviewal by the U.S. Space and Missile Systems Center of the efficacy and applicability of advances in technology in future satellites. The Air Force has allocated $200 million to prepare an alternative to the Space-Based Infrared System High satellite system due to its high costs. The U.S. Air Force is also considering whether the technological advances will be good enough to replace the existing design of missile warning satellites prepared by Lockheed Martin Corp.

The article reports that as Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co. are facing closure of their military transport production lines, European rival European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co., is sensing an opportunity to sell its midsize airbus A400M. Boeing has been producing C-17 airlifters for many years. Boeing's search for customers for 10 unobligated strategic airlifters for which it has started ordering parts, is still continuing. Fears of a C-17 production line closure have driven Canada and Australia to look for other options.

This article reports that opposing Boeing Co., Lockheed Martin Corp. and Raytheon Aircraft Co. teams are improving on existing seeker and bomb designs as they move forward with a long-awaited U.S. Air Force competition to manufacture a small weapon able to classify and destroy moving targets in adverse weather. Once a follow-on to Boeing's 2001 contract to build the 250-lb. Small Diameter Bomb, the second phase of the program SDB II was opened to competition last year. Both teams are receiving 42-month contracts worth up to $150 million to design and test a new all-up round. A protest by Lockheed Martin, which lost the original SDB competition to Boeing, prompted the government to craft a new acquisition strategy for SDB II after Darleen Druyun admitted to favoring Boeing shortly before she left to join the company's ranks.

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.

This article reports that Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. are joining forces for the multibillion-dollar U.S. Air Force (USAF) Small-Diameter Bomb (SDB) Increment II competition, although the new-found relationship had a muddled debut. Lockheed had protested Boeing's earlier SDB win after a USAF procurement official admitted bias toward the company. The team would have an edge on the competition because it will base its proposal on the bomb kit already developed by Boeing under the SDB Increment I contract with the USAF. The addition for the second increment will be Lockheed Martin's tri-mode seeker, which is under development for the Army's Joint Common Missile program and ahead of the competition in terms of federally funded testing milestones. In August, USAF announced it would conduct a new competition for SDB Increment II, a 250-lb.-class bomb that would destroy mobile targets in bad weather.

This article reports that the U.S. government is in talks with Boeing Co. and Lockheed Martin Corp. to determine how to transfer the former's work on a multibillion-dollar contract to develop secret imaging satellites to Lockheed Martin for a quick corporate turnaround. The administration of President George W. Bush notified the Congress during classified briefings late last week that it would shift development work for the Future Imagery Architecture's (FIA) electro-optical satellites, according to an intelligence official. Boeing was unable to overcome a variety of technical challenges or provide the overarching systems engineering expertise to proceed, according to this source. FIA is one of many government space programs experiencing major cost overruns and schedule delays.

The article informs that two recent test failures of Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile in the last month are raising new concerns about the program's future as an already skeptical the U.S. Congress begins dissecting the Pentagon's budget plans to continue developing and purchasing the system. The stealthy cruise missile was unstable in flight after being dropped from an avionics mid-life improvement configured B-52 during a May 17 test. This follows an errant drop from a B-2 in April. During that test, two missiles were released from separate bombers.

This article reports that the congressional budget axe is about to fall again on the U.S. Air Force's beleaguered Space Radar program. The project has repeatedly suffered cuts in Congress, with legislators concerned the Air Force is embarking on a costly program without its fully understanding the technology or price. Space Radar is a retouched version of the Space-Based Radar (SBR), an Air Force Space Command effort of the late 1990s to field as many as 24 satellites capable of identifying and tracking moving targets. Former Air Force Undersecretary Peter Teets, who was also the top Pentagon procurement official for space programs, made the demonstration plans public in January, just before the Pentagon's funding plans were sent to Congress.

This article reports that after enduring the longest suspension ever for a defense contractor, Boeing Co.'s launch back into the U.S. Air Force rocket business was hardly the glowing event some officials had expected. The resignation of Harry C. Stonecipher, the former Boeing executive who was pulled out of retirement in 2003 to wrangle ethics problems at the company, was announced late on March 7, 2005 after the markets had closed. Stonecipher took the helm following Phil Condit's departure in the wake of the Air Force-Boeing tanker procurement scandal. Air Force Secretary Peter Teets lifted what was to be a three-month suspension of Boeing's rocket sectors 20 months after imposing it in 2003. More than 25,000 pp. of proprietary data on Lockheed Martin Corp.'s Atlas V launch vehicle were found to be in Boeing's possession during a sensitive, multibillion-dollar competition in the late 1990s that has shaped the government launch manifest for years to come.

The article, a news brief from aerospace and defense industry daily report focuses on United Launch Alliance's parent companies Lockheed Martin and Boeing, Lockheed- developers of Atlas V under the Air Force Evolved Expendable launch program, owner of substantial rights and refusal to share data rights of Atlas V with Aerojet Rocketdyne.The break in monopoly in the aerospace business, chances of Aerojet/Dynetics/Schafer's entry into U.S.national security market is based on Atlas V launcher bid.

The article focuses on the plan of the team of defense companies such as Aeroject Rocketdyne Holdings Ind., Dynetics Inc. and Shafer Corp. to keep the Atlas V rocket alive with the new AR-1 propulsion system developed by Aerojet in the U.S. The initiative was part of the effort to understand whether the trio can make a business to sell a re-engine Atlas V to the government. It notes that the fleet was originally developed by Lockheed Martin and operated by the United Launch Alliance (ULA).

The article reports on the statement of Rob Weiss, aerospace company Lockheed Martin official, that U.S. Air Force should consider starting an unmanned aircraft program to formally replace the U-2 unit rather than putting more money into the Northrop Grumman Global Hawk. According to Weiss, an unmanned air system should be developed to accomplish the mission that the U-2 does. It notes that Lockheed Martin has become publicly involved in the debate over whether to shift from U-2 to Global Hawk.

The article discusses the United States Air force being confident to achieve its plan to declare Initial Operational Capability(IOC) for the F-35A jet fighter by the end of December 2016. Topics include the problem of getting enough airmen trained to declare IOC, the air force plans at contracting some maintenance services from contractor Lockheed Martin and the air force blaming the United States Congress for the maintainer shortfall.

The article discusses defense companies Northrop Grumman Corp. and Lockheed Martin scaling back work on developing their own company-funded designs for the United States Navy's Unmanned Carrier Launched Airborne Surveillance and Strike (Uclass) aircraft. Topics include the program being punted because of defense spending cuts and preference given to the United States Air force and Central Intelligence Agency's stealth RQ-180 unmanned reconnaissance system.

The article offers information on the procurement and research and development (R&D) planning request made by the U.S. Air Force to the U.S. Congress to increase its fiscal 2016 budget request. Topics discussed include spending made by the Air Force for the development of the Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter airplane, role of the defense budget in paving competition for the global positioning system satellite, and delay in retirement of seven E-3 Airborne Warning and Control Aircraft.

The articles reports that aerospace and defense technologies firms Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman have formed teams for the sixth-generation fighter competitions to win the contract for U.S. Air Force's long-range strike bomber.It presents views of Tom Vice, president of Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems, on the issue. It also mentions the bomber contract won by Northrop Grumman for the B-2 bomber.

The article reports on the move of the U.S. Air Force to reassess the bids from defense contractors to build a next-generation air defense radar system. The defense contractors include Raytheon Co., Northrop Grumman Corp.. and Lockheed Martin. Program manager Kevin Sellers agrees to reopen the source selection and negotiation based on technical evaluation and pricing analysis.

The article reports on the product demonstration of aerospace firm Lockheed Martin's Advanced Development Programs to prove its open system architecture (OSA) capabilities. These products include three electronic warfare sensors on the U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft. It offers information on Lockheed's OSA which was created to comply with the Air Force's open mission system payload standards.

The article discusses the United States Air force plans to buy as many as 350 T-X aircraft to replace aging T-38s. Topics include the need for a new aggressor aircraft to tax the technological and skills of future F-22 and F-35 pilots and technology companies vying for the T-X program includes General Dynamics Corp./Alenia Aermacchi SpA with the M346 and Lockheed Martin/Korea Aerospace Industries with the T-50.

The article discusses the plan of constructing the Redesigned Kill Vehicle by the U.S. Missile Defense Agency. The U.S. Missile Defense Agency Director, James Syring said that an approval has been seeked for government design authority approach where they will be working with Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Boeing to develop the design. The Ground-Based Midcourse Defense program is also expecting Long-Range Discrimination Radar to refine its capabilities which is depending on the budget request

The article discusses the move of the U.S. Air Force to consider three missions for national security space launches after SpaceX agreed to drop its lawsuit. SpaceX earlier claimed that its Falcon 9 was unfairly shut out of the competitive launches to the United Launch Alliance LLC (ULA). The ULA is a merger to manufacture Atlas V and Delta IV vehicle fleets by Lockheed Martin and Boeing Co.

The article reports on the plan of the U.S. Air Force to increase the number of competitive launches after SpaceX has agreed to drop lawsuit. SpaceX aims to break the monopoly on national security space missions jointly held by Lockheed Martin and Boeing Co. under the United Launch Alliance LLC (ULA). The Air Force pledges to conduct competitions with multiple certified providers.

The article reports on the hopes of the defense and aerospace company Lockheed Martin to claw back to Poland's air defense system competition after its Medium Extended Air Defense System (Meads) is rejected from the 2014 competition. The topics discussed include the challenges experienced by the Meads program, the reasons why the U.S. withdrew its 2014 budget for the production of Meads, and the expected completion of Congressional-directed study on Meads technologies.

The article reports on the hopes of the aerospace and defense company Lockheed Martin on the implications of the China's hypersonic re-entry strike vehicle testing on its dormant plan to create a design for the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) air defense system. The topics discussed include the amount spent by the U.S. government on diverse missile defenses and the hopes of Lockheed to obtain funding from the U.S. Missile Defense Agency to finance its development program.

The article discusses offers by Lockheed Martin C-130 suppliers for a host of avionics upgrade to ensure that tactical airlifters have access to preferred air routes. The U.S. Department of Defense is the largest C-130 customer whose U.S. Airforce has put on hold its C-130 Avionics Modernization Program (AMP) due to price considerations. Lockheed Martin is reportedly taking advantage of the AMP market in the Middle East and Europe by offering customized fleet management and upgrade services.

The article reports on strategies of aerospace companies Boeing and Saab to launch the fighter airplane T-X, as of October 2015. It states the possible purchases of fighter aircrafts by the U.S. Air Force from aerospace companies like Lockheed Martin, and mentions features and possible development costs of the T-X fighter plane.