Artist’s concept of a Lockheed Martin Multi-Mission Surface Combatant. US Navy
Lockheed Martin was awarded a $1.96 billion detailed design and construction to build four warships for Saudi Arabia, according to a Friday contract announcement. Read More
A U.S. Navy F-35C Lightning II, attached to Commander, Joint Strike Fighter Wing, the ‘Argonauts’ of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147, completes a flight over Eglin Air Force Base in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., Feb. 1, 2019. US Navy Photo
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Navy is unclear how it will proceed with its next generation of aviation combatants following the introduction of the F-35C Lighting II Joint Strike Fighter into the carrier air wing, Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday said on Thursday. Read More
By agreeing to a second short-term spending bill early in Fiscal Year 2020, Congress and President Donald Trump will keep government agencies open for another month, a move the defense industry says is better than the alternative, but not a great long-term strategy. Read More
Cpl. Kendal Parish and Sgt. Arben Kupa, both Airframe Mechanics from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501, reinstall a panel of an F-35B Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter after maintenance aboard the USS Wasp, May 24, 2015.
CAPITOL HILL – Lawmakers said Wednesday they’re unlikely to authorize the Pentagon to award a coveted multi-year contract to build F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters unless the program solves such problems as chronic shortages of spare parts that often wear out quicker than anticipated.
Marines assigned to the ‘Flying Leathernecks’ of Marine Fighter Squadron (VMFA) 122 perform maintenance on an F-35B Lightning II on the flight deck of the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6) on Oct. 3, 2019. US Navy Photo
Lockheed Martin and the F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office inked a long-awaited $34-billion deal to build the next three batches of 478 stealthy fighters.
A formation of four U.S. Marine Corps F-35B Lightning IIs with Marine Fighter Attack Squadron (VMFA) 122, Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 13, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing (MAW), are secured on the flight deck aboard the amphibious assault ship USS America (LHA-6) on Oct. 5, 2019. US Marine Corps Photo
The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is performing well in the real world, but challenges incorporating it into a Defense Department simulation system will delay DoD from being able to move into full-rate production, the Pentagon’s top weapons-buyer told reporters today. Read More
Independence-variant littoral combat ship USS Gabrielle Giffords (LCS-10) launches a Naval Strike Missile (NSM) during Exercise Pacific Griffin on Oct. 1, 2019. US Navy Photo
The Navy has tested its latest anti-ship missile in a sinking exercise off of Guam, the service announced on Tuesday. Read More
Boeing MQ-25A Stingray takes its first flight on Sept. 19, 2019. Boeing Photo
The prototype for the Navy’s first unmanned aerial refueler made its first test flight from an airfield in Illinois, Boeing announced on Thursday. Read More
USS Detroit (LCS-7) receives regularly scheduled maintenance and upkeep during a scheduled dry-dock maintenance availability phase at BAE Systems shipyard in Jacksonville, Fla., March 29, 2019. US Navy Photo
This is the second of a two-part series on the current state of the Littoral Combat Ship program.
This post has been updated to note that the Mk 48 Mod II Gun Weapon Control System will upgrade the current 57mm gun on the LCS.
WASHINGTON NAVY YARD – With both variants of the Littoral Combat Ship in serial production at two yards and those ships now kicking off an enduring multi-ship overseas presence, the Navy is turning its focus to increasing the lethality and survivability of the hulls. Read More
Naval Air Station Key West color guard parades the colors during the commissioning ceremony of USS Billings (LCS-15). Billings is the 17th littoral combat ship to enter the fleet and the eighth of the Freedom-variant. Navy photo
The Navy commissioned USS Billings (LCS-15) at a ceremony in Key West, Fla., over the weekend, adding the eighth Freedom-variant Littoral Combat Ship to fleet. Read More
