Lockheed Martin has rolled out the first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter destined for the Netherlands. The jet, a conventional takeoff and landing F-35A known as AN-1, will be assigned to Eglin Air Force Base in Florida later this summer, Lockheed said. The Netherlands will use the jet for training and operational tests. The Dutch have
Lockheed Martin has delivered the 4500th F-16 Fighting Falcon, a Block 52 aircraft destined for Morocco. In production since 1975, the F-16 has been selected as a front-line fighter by 26 countries. Lockheed currently has 70 unfilled F-16 orders that will keep its Fort Worth, Texas production line open until at least 2016. That includes
The Pentagon has increased its projection of through life costs for the US F-35 program by nine per cent to $1.51 trillion, unwelcome news for a program already under fire for cost overruns. The estimate includes development costs since 1994, production of the full US requirement of 2443 aircraft and support costs over a period
L-3 Communications and Alenia Aermacchi have again promised to fully support new C-27J airlifters if Australia chooses to purchase the aircraft through the US Foreign Military Sales program. “L-3 and Alenia can assure the Commonwealth of Australia of complete through life support of the C-27J as part of a broad international user community,” the companies
Australia is to purchase long-lead items for the “potential conversion of 12 of the RAAF’s F/A-18 Super Hornets to the EA-18G Growler variant”, Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced today. In a statement the ministers stressed that no Growler acquisition decision has been made yet, but that the
A Shadow 200 Tactical Unmanned Aerial System (TUAS) has been deployed to Afghanistan since August last year and a second will be delivered to Australian troops preparing to deploy, almost one year ahead of schedule, Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced today. Purchased through the United States Foreign
