Latest news with #Lockheed
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lockheed eyes better stealth, unmanned option for F-35
Advanced stealth capabilities, new weapons and possibly even an unmanned piloting option could be in the works for Lockheed Martin's F-35 as the company seeks to boost the jet with sixth-generation technology. In a webcast of a Wednesday discussion at the Bernstein Strategic Decisions Conference in New York, Lockheed CEO Jim Taiclet expressed confidence the company could have a 'meaningful increase' of capabilities for the F-35 ready in two or three years. Lockheed originally developed these technologies as part of its pitch to the Air Force for a Next-Generation Air Dominance, or NGAD, fighter. But the Air Force ended up going with Boeing's proposal, and President Donald Trump in March announced NGAD would be called the F-47. Lockheed hopes to salvage its NGAD loss by making the F-35 more capable and attractive. Taiclet has claimed porting its NGAD technology into a 'supercharged' F-35 will allow the company to deliver 80% of the capability of an NGAD fighter at half the cost. In an April earnings call with investors, Taiclet said Lockheed would 'take the [F-35's] chassis and turn it into a Ferrari.' That could include upgrading the F-35's stealth coatings to help it evade infrared and radar signals and tweaking the fighter's outer body shape, particularly its engine inlets and outlets, to make it stealthier, Taiclet said. A fifth-generation-plus F-35 could also have better electronic warfare capabilities, networking and autonomy, which could be used to make the jet 'pilot-optional,' Taiclet said. Some weapons designed for a sixth-generation aircraft could also be folded into the F-35's arsenal, he said. Some of these capabilities could be ready for a first flight and integration into the F-35 in two or three years, Taiclet said, but he cautioned the technology development has to be rolled out in stages. 'You cannot introduce too much new equipment or too much new software at once, necessarily, without interrupting the production flow,' Taiclet said. Lockheed Martin is also looking for ways the F-35 can better interface with other aircraft, including sixth-generation planes, drones such as collaborative combat aircraft and other technologies as part of the Air Force's 'family of systems' concept. 'This is the way to look at the air superiority program of the future,' Taiclet said. 'It's not just plane-to-plane, what's faster, what turns tighter, what's got the longest duration of flight, but how it interacts and can interact with a wider ecosystem to create air superiority.' Taiclet also provided an update on the F-35's Technology Refresh 3 upgrades and the effort to get the newest Joint Strike Fighters ready to fly in combat. The upgrades, also known as TR3, include an improved core processor for the F-35, better memory and a more sophisticated display for pilots. The development of that hardware is done, Taiclet said, and it's being produced at scale by L3Harris. He said the TR3 software integration to tie the new pieces of equipment into the jet is also done. F-35s are now moving through production lines, primarily at Lockheed's Fort Worth, Texas, facility, and are having TR3 hardware and software installed, he said. Those new F-35s are also receiving a new distributed aperture system, which is six antennas positioned around the jet to boost its sensing capability. The distributed aperture system is the first piece of hardware needed for a more significant upgrade known as Block 4. However, integrating that new sensor set and its own software with TR3 has presented a new challenge, and is now 'a little bit behind schedule,' Taiclet said. 'Once that catches up, we think by the end of this year, then all those aircraft that have been delivered will be combat capable, and allowable to be at the front-line base for the services and for our allies,' Taiclet said.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
4 deadly weapons the military never made
Just as the U.S. military has invented many everyday items – whether they meant to or not – they also brought many weapons to light, including those that never made it to battle. Though the research and effort went into creating said weapons, ultimately they were found unnecessary. However, the process behind these weapons is a story worthy of the history books, including the research that got them there. In the mid 60s, the U.S. Army called on Lockheed, an aerospace manufacturer, to create a new attack helicopter. Named the AH-56 Cheyenne, the bird was to become the Army's first dedicated attack helicopter. It consisted of a four-blade rotor system that could provide high-speed flight capabilities. In 1966, a contract for 10 prototype helicopters was awarded, with the first flight taking place a year later. The plan was for more helicopters to be made, however, during testing, there was a fatal crash, which caused additional delays. Eventually, the contract was canceled in 1969. By 1972, all Cheyenne helicopter production had stopped. Instead, the Cheyenne research was morphed into the Apache helicopter, which was considered less technical and more survivable in a crash. Apaches are still used in the U.S. Army today. Known as Project X-Ray, in the early 1940s, Uncle Sam experimented with the idea of using bats as bomb transportation devices. Essentially, bats would wear an explosive device that could later be detonated via timer. The bats would be dropped via plane and given time to roost in attics and other buildings within a 20-40 mile radius before exploding. The bombs were incendiaries, intended to set fires. It was even signed off on by then-President Teddy Roosevelt. In fact, it's his presidency that brought the idea into fruition at all; the bat bomb inventor, a dental surgeon, was acquainted with Eleanor Roosevelt. Tests were completed and found that each 14 gram bat could carry between 15 and 18 grams of napalm, which was then affixed via glue. The venture was considered a success; on weight, it caused more damage than standard incendiary bombs of the time. When regular bombs sparked between 167 and 400 fires, X-Ray sparked 3,625 to 4,748 fires. However, it was canceled when the Navy Fleet Admiral heard it would take another year of testing to complete. An estimated $2 million was spent on the research. (That's more than $36 million in 2025.) However, it was canceled due to the timeline and ongoing worry about humanity – ultimately, Uncle Sam realized it was unethical to not only kill innocent animals, but also potentially light fires, putting civilians at risk. Imagine being a military spouse – or a random civilian – and waking up to a house fire that was caused by a random bat. During WWII, the German government came up with its own unique weapon idea that never saw the light of war. The Krummlauf was a machine gun with a curved barrel, which, in theory, would allow soldiers to shoot around corners or obstacles while still hitting their target. A mirror was added to help the user see targets around said obstacles. A larger version was also planned to be put on tanks. Versions of the gun were made to curve at 30 degrees, 45 degrees, 60 degrees, and 90 degrees. In practice, however, the barrels proved inconsistent and short-lived. The barrels could only handle about 300 rounds (just 160 for the 45-degree variant), putting great force on the metal and bullets alike. The bend would also shatter bullets, causing them to exit like a shotgun shell rather than a single bullet. Various efforts were made to reduce this, like adding holes to allow pressure to escape. Testing was able to create some accuracy with the 30-degree model, but ultimately, the wear and tear and unpredictability of bullet pieces left the project short of its intended goal. Another WWII weapon came to light with the UK's Great Panjandrum, a rocket-propelled cart set to carry explosives. Its intent was to approach 10-foot concrete walls surrounding the Atlantic; it would also need to be launched via landing craft to keep soldiers off of beaches, which were thought to be a killing ground. It was calculated that more than 1,000 kg of explosives would be needed to create a tank-sized hole. The Panjandrum's job was to carry said explosives, which were suspended between two 1-foot-by-10-foot steel-treaded wheels. Rockets would propel the device, which was expected to weigh about 4,000 pounds when fully loaded. All factors combined, the device would travel around 60 mph, hitting the wall with a rough force to ignite its explosives. The UK attempted many tests, most of which were viewed by civilians on vacation, as a popular beach was chosen for testing and was not closed for the events. Starting with a few rockets at first, testing included up to 70 rockets to launch the Panjandrum. However, it would not travel straight or consistently, and caused danger for high-ups observing its use. Therefore, it was canceled after being determined to be unstable.
Economic Times
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Economic Times
Shut up and speak clearly: India needs to fix the glaring dissonance in its communication
Enough Babel-ing Expectedly, domestic and international debate on Operation Sindoor has been sharp and wide. Both in execution and outcome, the military strikes that began on May 7 were dramatic. In the initial hours, there was an inevitable information fog. Today, there is greater it falls to reason that the imperatives and impact, the episode's facets and attributes, military and strategic upshots, and diplomatic and political lessons will be discussed and analysed for months to come. Some of the early propaganda offensive and media warfare were clearly overdone. There is now increasing evidence that the initial framing of the India-Pakistan exchange as a battle between French/Western and Chinese platforms was an exaggeration and oversimplification. At one point, the course of the conflict was even sought to be gauged by stock market movements of individual military manufacturers. This was puzzling, and irrelevant. An Indian fighter pilot famously shot down a Pakistan Air Force F-104 Starfighter in the 1971 war. Lockheed did not go bankrupt. It remains an aerospace giant to this military situation is clean and one-sided all the time. Even so, serious briefings from the Indian armed forces, and tantalising statements that have come out of Islamabad, unerringly point to the same conclusion. India's twin moves - the strikes on terrorist camps that extended to the heartland of Pakistani Punjab, and crippling of multiple air bases all over Pakistan - went beyond any achievement the adversary could course, it was not for want of trying. The Pakistanis threw in everything they could, including ballistic missiles. Indian defences held out. The S-400 justified its reputation. Drone warfare became a living reality for a new generation of Indian military a sense, glimpses of the future of warfare were available. For all the post facto rhetoric, Pakistan asked for a cessation of hostilities after its air bases were damaged. Any further escalation was now difficult without assurance of air assessments will continue to be updated as more and more evidence emerges. However, there is already enough before us to draw conclusions on the diplomatic and communications situation and challenges. These merit some contemplation. After Uri (2016) and Pulwama (2019), India undertook cross-border counter-terrorism strikes into POK, and then Pakistan proper. It is worth comparing the diplomatic roadblocks back then - in 2016, for example - to those now. Indian diplomacy had to persuade the global community that there was adequate space for conventional action under a nuclear umbrella. The alternative to no action was not all-out, total and mutually destructive war - as the Pakistanis had argued in 2001-02, and then in 2008 after the Mumbai terrorist attacks. This time, after the Pahalgam massacre, countries offered India sympathy and solidarity. However, nobody issued serious public statements - or undertook shuttle diplomacy - calling for New Delhi not to respond. A response was taken for granted. India's argument that there was ample room for kinetic operations under the nuclear umbrella had been internalised. There was also trust that the Narendra Modi government would act responsibility and measuredly. That India did not have to diplomatically persevere to make its case for a response was in itself a telling success of Indian be sure, there was a difference between April 22 and May 7. International partners were understanding of a response. But once it had been made, they were wary of where it could end. To all of them, India's messaging was consistent: there would be no escalation if Pakistan did not escalate. This continued for a couple of rounds, till Islamabad decided it would not - or could not - message was delivered to every country that spoke to it, including the UAE and Saudi Arabia. They were - separately - also in close contact with Pakistan. The US came in late, but overstated its role. The say-do ratio of Washington's storied diplomatic tradition has strategic communications is a critical element of digital-age diplomacy and conflict management. India pays insufficient attention to it. It is notable that the recently-announced National Security Advisory Board has put together talent from the armed forces, diplomacy, internal security and intelligence - but completely ignored strategic comms and, for that matter, supply chains. There is a crying need for modernisation in Operation Sindoor as well, there was a glaring dissonance in terms of an overarching communications strategy. Rather than leave media and public emotions to their own devices - and, in some cases, fevered imagination - there should have been a convergence between the messaging to diplomatic interlocutors and to domestic partners were being told that India did not want to escalate. Destroying terrorist camps - in addition to coercive economic diplomacy in the form of Indus Waters Treaty measures - had achieved objectives. The domestic mood was given no such salve, no 'mission accomplished' prophylactic. The result was a media-social media ecosystem that went berserk.A $4 tn economy can do better. In fact, given its stakes, it needs to do better. The parliamentary delegations travelling to various partner countries offer an opportunity to fill that gap. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. 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Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
An F-35 stealth fighter flying in Texas sent classified data to an air base 5,000 miles away in Denmark
An F-35 flying in Texas recently sent classified data to a command center in Denmark. The demonstration showed how the stealth fighter can gather critical intel and export it to allies. The F-35's advanced sensors and avionics allow it to act as the quarterback for a given mission. US defense contractor Lockheed Martin said one of its F-35 stealth fighters sent classified data from Texas to a command center about 5,000 miles away in Denmark, calling this a milestone and a successful demonstration of how systems work together. Danish military F-35s flying out of Fort Worth exported the data via DAGGR-2, made by Lockheed's Advanced Development Programs, also known as Skunk Works. The command-and-control system then passed the classified information through commercial satellite communications to Denmark's Skrydstrup Air Base. In a statement on Monday, Lockheed said that "this is another success in a series of Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) demonstrations proving the F-35's ability to serve as a powerful force multiplier, enabling allied forces to rapidly deploy ready-now capabilities to connect systems across the battlespace." Simply put, the advantages of the F-35 aren't limited to the munitions it carries. The stealth fighter can boost situational awareness and quarterback assets to make them more effective. Danish Air Chief Maj. Gen. Jan Dam hailed the recent data demonstration as a "significant milestone toward enhancing Denmark's capabilities, as it enabled our MDO staff to witness in real-time the potential of the F-35's ability to collect, analyse and share advanced data across geographically dispersed networks." Denmark is one of the eight countries that made up the original multinational F-35 program. The fifth-generation stealth fighter jet has been sold to 12 additional countries around the world, and over 1,200 aircraft have already been delivered to these militaries, including the US, since the first plane rolled off the production line nearly two decades ago. The F-35 is considered to be a key component of American airpower. Not only can it penetrate contested airspace, but it can also quarterback the mission, leading the team even if it doesn't fire any weapons using its high-end sensors and advanced networking capabilities. The recent demonstration highlights how the F-35 can effectively gather critical information and distribute it to allies. Past exercises involving the aircraft have underscored this capability. In April, Lockheed shared that a Danish F-35 relayed sensitive data to a command center at Leeuwarden Air Base during the NATo air exercise Ramstein Flag 2025, and that information was then passed to a rocket artillery system to enable a kill. OJ Sanchez, Skunk Works' vice president and general manager, said that the collaboration with Denmark has "enabled us to do what we do best at Skunk Works — rapidly deploy ready-now capabilities at a pace unparalleled in the industry and prove it through real-world flights." The US operates all three F-35 variants — the A for conventional take-off and landing, the B for short take-off and vertical landing, and the C for ship-based operations — and has used each one in combat operations in the Middle East. Denmark's air force uses the F-35A for its operations. Read the original article on Business Insider
Business Insider
20-05-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
An F-35 stealth fighter flying in Texas sent classified data to an air base 5,000 miles away in Denmark
US defense contractor Lockheed Martin said one of its F-35 stealth fighters sent classified data from Texas to a command center about 5,000 miles away in Denmark, calling this a milestone and a successful demonstration of how systems work together. Danish military F-35s flying out of Fort Worth exported the data via DAGGR-2, made by Lockheed's Advanced Development Programs, also known as Skunk Works. The command-and-control system then passed the classified information through commercial satellite communications to Denmark's Skrydstrup Air Base. In a statement on Monday, Lockheed said that "this is another success in a series of Multi-Domain Operations (MDO) demonstrations proving the F-35's ability to serve as a powerful force multiplier, enabling allied forces to rapidly deploy ready-now capabilities to connect systems across the battlespace." Simply put, the advantages of the F-35 aren't limited to the munitions it carries. The stealth fighter can boost situational awareness and quarterback assets to make them more effective. Danish Air Chief Maj. Gen. Jan Dam hailed the recent data demonstration as a "significant milestone toward enhancing Denmark's capabilities, as it enabled our MDO staff to witness in real-time the potential of the F-35's ability to collect, analyse and share advanced data across geographically dispersed networks." Denmark is one of the eight countries that made up the original multinational F-35 program. The fifth-generation stealth fighter jet has been sold to 12 additional countries around the world, and over 1,200 aircraft have already been delivered to these militaries, including the US, since the first plane rolled off the production line nearly two decades ago. The F-35 is considered to be a key component of American airpower. Not only can it penetrate contested airspace, but it can also quarterback the mission, leading the team even if it doesn't fire any weapons using its high-end sensors and advanced networking capabilities. The recent demonstration highlights how the F-35 can effectively gather critical information and distribute it to allies. Past exercises involving the aircraft have underscored this capability. In April, Lockheed shared that a Danish F-35 relayed sensitive data to a command center at Leeuwarden Air Base during the NATo air exercise Ramstein Flag 2025, and that information was then passed to a rocket artillery system to enable a kill. OJ Sanchez, Skunk Works' vice president and general manager, said that the collaboration with Denmark has "enabled us to do what we do best at Skunk Works — rapidly deploy ready-now capabilities at a pace unparalleled in the industry and prove it through real-world flights." The US operates all three F-35 variants — the A for conventional take-off and landing, the B for short take-off and vertical landing, and the C for ship-based operations — and has used each one in combat operations in the Middle East. Denmark's air force uses the F-35A for its operations.
