Latest news with #JointStrikeFighter
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boeing CEO says F-47 fighter jet win over Lockheed cements its spot in the fighter business. It's back in the stealth fighter game.
Boeing's CEO said its win over Lockheed Martin "will secure our fighter franchise for decades to come." He called being selected for the first US sixth-generation aircraft a key step for Boeing's future. While Boeing has continued to build other fighter jets, the contract is a big return to the stealth fighter game. Boeing's CEO said that the US Air Force's pick of its sixth-generation fighter design over Lockheed Martin cements its spot in the fighter jet business. The win puts it back in the stealth fighter game after its Joint Strike Fighter loss over two decades ago. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said on an earnings call on Wednesday that President Donald Trump and the Air Force awarding Boeing the contract to build the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, called the F-47, was "a transformational accomplishment." He said being the prime defense contractor for the world's first sixth-generation fighter "will secure our fighter franchise for decades to come." He later added that the "F-47 win is a key step for building our future, cementing our franchise in the fighter business." Competition for the next-gen fighter was stiff, with fighter jet designs from Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman under consideration. When the latter withdrew from the project, it left only the same two contractors that competed for the Joint Strike Fighter at the turn of the century. The announcement that Boeing will build the next stealth fighter jet came after decades of Lockheed Martin dominating the stealth fighter industry. Lockheed's Skunk Works built the first operational stealth aircraft, the F-117 Nighthawk, and then it was the prime contractor for both US fifth-gen stealth fighters, the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. Lockheed's selection for what later became the F-35 program in 2001 was a heavy blow to Boeing, which had worked with Lockheed on the F-22, a fifth-generation air superiority fighter. The coming F-47 is expected to replace F-22, and it is expected to be ready for combat by the end of this decade. In 2022, the head of Boeing's defense division, Ted Colbert, said that "fighters are an important business to the Boeing Company" and that "we haven't given up the fight in that space. We are continuing to invest in it." Boeing builds capable fourth-generation fighters like the Air Force's F-15 Eagle and Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornets, but until recently, it had been out of the stealth fighter game for a while. Lockheed Martin's CEO said in response to the decision that it would not protest Boeing's selection for the NGAD program. Instead, the company is talking about supercharging the F-35 jet, turning it into a kind of fifth-gen plus fighter aircraft. James Taiclet said on a Lockheed earnings call this week that the company would instead upgrade the F-35 to be able to reach 80% of the F-47's capabilities for half the cost. He said that the effort would be informed by what the company learned in its bid for the sixth-generation fighter contract. The new Boeing contract is said to be cost-plus, which means the government covers Boeing's expenses as it develops the jet and also gives Boeing a fee that can be altered based on how well the jet performs. Ortberg was questioned about this and what risk the company was taking with the F-47 on Wednesday's call and responded by saying he would not comment on the contract structure. He said that Boeing had not committed to any "undue risk." The Boeing CEO added that "clearly, we haven't come off our strategy of ensuring we're entering into the appropriate contract type for the appropriate type of work. "I wouldn't worry that we've signed up to undue risk like we've done in some of our past fixed price programs, but that's about all I can say on that right now," he said. Boeing lost billions of dollars on the contract for the new Air Force One. Boeing presented a positive picture of the company's defense business and overall finances in its earnings call, reporting a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss. It reported a loss of 49 cents per share in the first quarter, while analysts had expected it to report an adjusted loss of $1.29 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG and reported by Reuters. Brian West, Boeing's executive vice president and chief financial officer, said on the call that Boeing's core defense business "remains solid, representing approximately 60% of our revenue and performing in the mid to high single digit margin range. The demand for these products remains very strong, supported by the threat environment confronting our nation and our allies." He said "the game plan" is to get the Boeing Defense, Space & Security division "back to high single-digit margins." He said that "the defense portfolio is well-positioned for the future, and we still expect the business to return to historical performance levels as we continue to stabilize production, execute on development programs, and transition to new contracts with tighter underwriting standards." When Trump announced Boeing's NGAD contract win in March, the president suggested the US might export the jet, but it would be a less-capable version. The US regularly sells modified export versions of weapons, but that is a notable departure from the F-35. The F-22 notably was never exported. It's unclear what this will mean for the F-47, as it's still early days. Lately, Trump's isolation of allies has rattled the F-35 program. Some European companies have been seeking to capitalize, but that program continues. Frank Kendall, the former secretary of the US Air Force during the Biden administration, said on Defense & Aerospace Report's "Air Power" podcast in March that he doubted US allies would be willing to buy the F-47 because of the expected costs and the new attitude toward allies. Kendall paused the NGAD program last year over concerns about the potential cost — some estimates were as high as $300 million per plane — and questions about whether a new crewed fighter aircraft is what the Air Force needs for future fights. He left that decision to the Trump administration. After the decision, Kendall questioned whether the new administration rushed into the F-47. Congress, he said, needs to ask hard questions: "Is this the right airplane for our defense strategy? Is it affordable? Does it displace higher priorities?" Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
24-04-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
Boeing CEO says F-47 fighter jet win over Lockheed cements its spot in the fighter business. It's back in the stealth fighter game.
Boeing's CEO said that the US Air Force's pick of its sixth-generation fighter design over Lockheed Martin cements its spot in the fighter jet business. The win puts it back in the stealth fighter game after its Joint Strike Fighter loss over two decades ago. Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg said on an earnings call on Wednesday that President Donald Trump and the Air Force awarding Boeing the contract to build the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) fighter, called the F-47, was "a transformational accomplishment." He said being the prime defense contractor for the world's first sixth-generation fighter "will secure our fighter franchise for decades to come." He later added that the "F-47 win is a key step for building our future, cementing our franchise in the fighter business." Competition for the next-gen fighter was stiff, with fighter jet designs from Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Northrop Grumman under consideration. When the latter withdrew from the project, it left only the same two contractors that competed for the Joint Strike Fighter at the turn of the century. The announcement that Boeing will build the next stealth fighter jet came after decades of Lockheed Martin dominating the stealth fighter industry. Lockheed's Skunk Works built the first operational stealth aircraft, the F-117 Nighthawk, and then it was the prime contractor for both US fifth-gen stealth fighters, the F-22 Raptor and the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter. Lockheed's selection for what later became the F-35 program in 2001 was a heavy blow to Boeing, which had worked with Lockheed on the F-22, a fifth-generation air superiority fighter. The coming F-47 is expected to replace F-22, and it is expected to be ready for combat by the end of this decade. In 2022, the head of Boeing's defense division, Ted Colbert, said that "fighters are an important business to the Boeing Company" and that "we haven't given up the fight in that space. We are continuing to invest in it." Boeing builds capable fourth-generation fighters like the Air Force's F-15 Eagle and Navy's F/A-18 Super Hornets, but until recently, it had been out of the stealth fighter game for a while. Lockheed Martin's CEO said in response to the decision that it would not protest Boeing's selection for the NGAD program. Instead, the company is talking about supercharging the F-35 jet, turning it into a kind of fifth-gen plus fighter aircraft. James Taiclet said on a Lockheed earnings call this week that the company would instead upgrade the F-35 to be able to reach 80% of the F-47's capabilities for half the cost. He said that the effort would be informed by what the company learned in its bid for the sixth-generation fighter contract. The new Boeing contract is said to be cost-plus, which means the government covers Boeing's expenses as it develops the jet and also gives Boeing a fee that can be altered based on how well the jet performs. Ortberg was questioned about this and what risk the company was taking with the F-47 on Wednesday's call and responded by saying he would not comment on the contract structure. He said that Boeing had not committed to any "undue risk." The Boeing CEO added that "clearly, we haven't come off our strategy of ensuring we're entering into the appropriate contract type for the appropriate type of work. "I wouldn't worry that we've signed up to undue risk like we've done in some of our past fixed price programs, but that's about all I can say on that right now," he said. Boeing lost billions of dollars on the contract for the new Air Force One. Boeing presented a positive picture of the company's defense business and overall finances in its earnings call, reporting a smaller-than-expected quarterly loss. It reported a loss of 49 cents per share in the first quarter, while analysts had expected it to report an adjusted loss of $1.29 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG and reported by Reuters. Brian West, Boeing's executive vice president and chief financial officer, said on the call that Boeing's core defense business "remains solid, representing approximately 60% of our revenue and performing in the mid to high single digit margin range. The demand for these products remains very strong, supported by the threat environment confronting our nation and our allies." He said "the game plan" is to get the Boeing Defense, Space & Security division "back to high single-digit margins." He said that "the defense portfolio is well-positioned for the future, and we still expect the business to return to historical performance levels as we continue to stabilize production, execute on development programs, and transition to new contracts with tighter underwriting standards." When Trump announced Boeing's NGAD contract win in March, the president suggested the US might export the jet, but it would be a less-capable version. The US regularly sells modified export versions of weapons, but that is a notable departure from the F-35. The F-22 notably was never exported. It's unclear what this will mean for the F-47, as it's still early days. Lately, Trump's isolation of allies has rattled the F-35 program. Some European companies have been seeking to capitalize, but that program continues. Frank Kendall, the former secretary of the US Air Force during the Biden administration, said on Defense & Aerospace Report's "Air Power" podcast in March that he doubted US allies would be willing to buy the F-47 because of the expected costs and the new attitude toward allies. Kendall paused the NGAD program last year over concerns about the potential cost — some estimates were as high as $300 million per plane — and questions about whether a new crewed fighter aircraft is what the Air Force needs for future fights. He left that decision to the Trump administration. After the decision, Kendall questioned whether the new administration rushed into the F-47. Congress, he said, needs to ask hard questions: "Is this the right airplane for our defense strategy? Is it affordable? Does it displace higher priorities?"
CBC
17-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Parts supplier sues Magellan Aerospace in Winnipeg for $1.5M, claiming invoices unpaid
Social Sharing A company that makes components for military aircraft in Winnipeg is being sued for more than $1.5 million by a supplier that claims it hasn't been paid for parts it supplied. Magellan Aerospace manufactures the horizontal tail assembly used in Lockheed Martin's F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. A Manitoba company that supplies hardware entered into an agreement in 2011 to supply Magellan with parts for the manufacture of the Joint Strike Fighter. After that agreement expired in 2017, another agreement took effect until April 30, 2023, says the statement of claim filed in court. It says the two companies were unable to negotiate a new agreement, and in December 2024, Adams Supply issued two invoices to Magellan, for a total of $1,499,980.35. The invoices were to be paid by Magellan by April 5, 2025, the lawsuit claims. "Despite Adams Supply fully performing its obligations under the procurement agreement" and issuing invoices, the court document alleges "Magellan has failed, neglected and/or refused to pay the invoices." The lawsuit was filed by A. Adams Supply (1969) Ltd. on April 7 at Manitoba Court of King's Bench in Winnipeg, and names Magellan Aerospace Ltd. and Magellan Aerospace Winnipeg as defendants. The plaintiff is seeking a court judgment for the invoices, plus interest and court costs. The allegations have not been tested in court and Magellan has not filed a statement of defence.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
F/A-XX Will Have Just 25% More Range Than Existing Navy Fighters
The U.S. Navy expects its future F/A-XX sixth-generation stealth fighters to offer just a 25 percent increase in range over the existing tactical combat jets in its carrier air wings. The disclosure comes as a surprise given that the service consistently makes it clear that extending the reach of its carrier strike groups is a critical priority as the range of expected threats also continues to grow. F/A-XX is also being designed around the availability the organic aerial refueling capabilities that will come with the carrier-based MQ-25 Stingray tanker drone, which is expected to have significant range as TWZ has just explored in a new in-depth feature. Navy Rear Adm. Michael 'Buzz' Donnelly, head of the Air Warfare Division within the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations, talked about the expected range and other features of the F/A-XX with TWZ and other outlets on the sidelines of the Navy League's Sea Air Space 2025 exhibition earlier today. Following the reported ejection of Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Northrop Grumman are now said to be face-to-face in the F/A-XX competition, the winner of which is expected to be announced soon. F/A-XX will offer 'probably over 125 percent of the range that we're seeing today to give us better flexibility operational reach,' Donnelly said. 'So it will definitely have longer inherent range.' Donnelly was subsequently asked explicitly if this meant '25 percent more capacity before you start adding in refueling,' to which he said 'yeah, affirm[itive].' Donnelly did not offer any specifics, but the F-35C carrier-based variant of the Joint Strike Fighter has the longest combat radius of any tactical jet in the Navy's current carrier air wings, which U.S. military sources put at around 670 nautical miles (close to 1,241 kilometers). This, in turn, would put the F/A-XX's expected maximum combat radius at roughly 837.5 nautical miles (just over 1,551 kilometers) F/A-XX will, 'of course, have refuel ability, and all of our air wings, our tactics, and what we're designing in the future considers organic refueling capability, so the F/A-XX will be able to leverage that,' Donnelly added. 'With refueling, you could say that's indefinite [range], as long as refueling is available.' Otherwise, F/A-XX will be able to 'penetrate threat airspace. That will pace the threat that we see into the future beyond 2040. So that's what we see as essential as the threat builds out its ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] capabilities and increases kinetic capabilities,' Donnelly also said. The sixth-generation carrier-based fighter 'will also, with the integration of AI [artificial intelligence] and other technical advantages, allow us to have increased battle space management. And it will be our next platform that, instead of being man-in-the-loop, will truly be man-on-the-loop, and allow us to have fully integrated architecture with our unmanned systems that we're going to be fielding.' Donnelly specifically mentioned teaming F/A-XX with future Collaborative Combat Aircraft (CCA), which could include types operated by the Navy and the U.S. Air Force, as well as larger uncrewed aircraft like the MQ-25. Acting as aerial 'quarterback for drones has long been a key expected mission for F/A-XX, as well as the Air Force's forthcoming F-47 Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) combat jet from Boeing. The Navy also has a now long-standing goal to deploy carrier air wings that are at least 60 percent uncrewed by the 2040s. The MQ-25 is set to serve as a 'pathfinder' for expanding uncrewed aircraft operations from Navy carriers and could itself evolve into a long-range multi-mission platform as you can read more about in detail here. As mentioned already, the revelation today about the F/A-XX's range is particularly notable. Rear Adm. Donnelly himself described the jet's expected tactical reach as 'an essential attribute,' despite it being a modest increase over existing capabilities. This all might also point a focus on higher performance or an aircraft that could be truncated in some way to help lower costs. Regardless, the Navy is already a facing threat ecosystem full of potential adversaries, especially near-peer ones like China, that can engage friendly forces in the air, at sea, and on the ground, further and further away. Just in January, the Air Force released a report that warned about the projected fielding of anti-air missiles with ranges of up to 1,000 miles by 2050. For the Navy, this increases the demand to extend the reach of the carrier air wing to help reduce the vulnerability of the entire strike group. Many had expected F/A-XX to have a much larger combat radius than the service's existing tactical jets for this reason, which would help further extend the buffer against future threats. The Navy has separately expressed an interest in finding new ways to extend the unrefueled reach of its F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and its EA-18G Growler electronic warfare jets. 'Carriers, with their ability to move over 700 miles a day, creating 1.5 million square miles of uncertainty, that is an element of survivability that will continue to be extremely important,' Rear Adm. Donnelly also said at a separate panel discussion at the Sea Air Space 2025 exhibition today. 'And what will increase is the range and reach that our future air wings will provide.' 'Today, we have the ability, with the combination of the F-18 [F/A-18E/F] and the EA-18G Growler, as well as the F-35 and our weapons for an operational range that provides us an area of effect of over eight million square miles,' he continued. 'And when we look to the 2040s, with the integration of MQ-25 to provide organic refueling, platforms such as F/A-XX with extended range, the weapons we expect to field at that time, we expect that area of effect increase to over 11 million square miles.' 'That area of effect is important, because that's also the area of uncertainty for the air wing that enhances the survivability of the strike group, but it's also the tactical reality combined with the attributes of those platforms that allow us to penetrate into complex [environments], [with] ubiquitous ISR that the threat will continue to field, and be selective in our targeting so that we can be efficient and persist longer,' the rear admiral added. More clarity about the F/A-XX's overall capabilities, as well as how the aircraft fits into the Navy's broader carrier strike group plans, is likely to emerge when the winner of the competition is finally announced. We do know now that the service expects the sixth-generation stealth fighters, at least currently, to bring a relatively minor increase in unrefueled range to its future carrier air wings. Contact the author: joe@
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
F-35 partners fully committed to program, Dutch defense minister says
PARIS – The partner countries involved in the Lockheed Martin F-35 remain fully committed to the fighter jet, and there's no sign the United States is changing course on the Joint Strike Fighter program, Dutch Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans said. 'It's in the interest of all of us to make sure that the F-35 program remains operational, that it remains as successful as it is right now, and I don't see any signs of the United States backtracking,' Brekelmans said in a press briefing at the Paris Defence and Strategy Forum on Tuesday, in response to a question citing concerns the U.S. could remotely ground aircraft operated by allies. 'So, I don't think we should speculate on this,' he added. Some European researchers and lawmakers expressed concern in recent weeks that America might block allies from using their F-35s, as U.S. President Donald Trump appears to increasingly align with Russia and has threatened to annex Canada and Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. European F-35 operators collaborate with the U.S. to prepare the mission data files critical to operating the jet, and many rely on a U.S.-hosted cloud-based software system for maintenance and updates. The Netherlands as of September had received 40 F-35s out of 52 ordered. That same month, the Dutch announced plans to buy another six of the jets and officially retired their fleet of F-16s. Defense bill for 2025 would delay F-35 deliveries Brekelmans pointed out that the F-35 program relies on parts from partner countries, echoing an argument made by Belgian Minister of Defence Theo Francken in a television interview Monday. Francken dismissed comments about a hypothetical F-35 'kill switch' as 'scaremongering stories,' also saying that if the U.S. would stop supplying parts, that would 'immediately completely shut down' the business of the entire U.S. defense industry in Europe. The U.S. is the 'biggest partner, and we need to have them on board in order to have a successful F-35 program, but other countries also play a key role,' Brekelmans said, noting the stealth jet has some 'essential parts that only we produce.' 'In the end, it is good also for the strength of the United States and for NATO and all of us that we have the most modern air force in the world,' the Dutch minister said. 'That means we should all be fully committed. And so far, that's what I also see from the partners in the F-35 program.' Lockheed Martin said in a statement last week that the company delivers 'all system infrastructure and data required for all F-35 customers to sustain the aircraft.' The F-35 capabilities against Russian air defenses cannot currently be replaced or replicated with other platforms, Justin Bronk, senior research fellow for air power at the U.K.'s Royal United Services Institute, wrote in a social media post on Monday. 'On the F-35 fears, I get it — there is real dependency,' Bronk said. He added, however, that if countries rely on the U.S. for targeting capacity — beyond line-of-sight communications, ISR and munitions to fight a war — then dependency on the U.S. for mission data files and software 'isn't your main problem.' Norway earlier this month received three more F-35 aircraft, bringing its fleet to 49 jets out of 52 the country has ordered. Denmark has received 17 fighters out of 27 ordered. Belgium has been less advanced in building up its fleet, receiving its first F-35 in December, with a total of 34 on order. Poland, meanwhile, started training on its first F-35s in February. The Netherlands continues to see the U.S. as a reliable NATO ally, but the Americans expect European countries to step up and 'do much more' on defense, according to Brekelmans. 'They do not expect burden sharing, they do expect burden shifting,' Brekelmans said. 'We should take that message seriously, but we should not speculate on any further steps that the United States is taking because we simply cannot guarantee our security without the U.S. at this moment. That is the reality that we have to work with.' Brekelmans added that the Netherlands is prepared to 'seriously talk' about sending troops to Ukraine to safeguard any peace agreement with Russia. The minister said he doesn't believe a U.S. backstop is off the table, even if there will be no American boots on the ground. 'There are also other ways in which you can provide a backstop,' Brekelmans said. 'And it's not only nuclear. In this escalation ladder, there are many steps in between, and we need to make sure that we create those steps.' Any mission in Ukraine would need to be clearly defined and have 'robust military capabilities' to realize the defined goal, Brekelmans added. The Dutch minister said 'it's very good' that French President Emmanuel Macron last week floated the idea of expanding the French nuclear deterrent to European allies. With China investing in nuclear capabilities and Russia issuing nuclear threats, 'we also need to have this conversation,' he said. 'These conversations are very much in early phases and exchange of statements and ideas,' Brekelmans added. 'It's not [like] right now ... with ministers of defense, that we have sessions about nuclear capabilities or something.' As part of this year's bigger budget discussion, the Dutch government will assess whether to raise defense spending above 2% of its GDP, according to Brekelmans. An additional percentage point would mean an additional €10 billion to €12 billion of spending, which 'for the Netherlands is a serious amount of money.' The biggest capacity shortages for the Netherlands are in the land forces, and while the Dutch government is planning to buy tanks, 'the number we invest is relatively low,' Brekelmans said. 'We need to make sure that our land forces become bigger and stronger, with more heavy equipment and heavier weapon systems.' The war in Ukraine has shown that Dutch Army battalions and brigades need to be able to keep up the fight longer than three months, which means investing in enablers such as supply chain, logistics and medical equipment will be a priority, the minister said. Air defense will be another focus. 'We need to make sure we have more air defense systems, more missiles, more of everything.' Defense News reporter Stephen Losey contributed to this report.
