March 4, 2024 | International, Aerospace
April 17, 2023 | International, Aerospace
U.S. President Joe Biden's administration notified Congress on Monday of the planned sale to Turkey of avionics software upgrades for its current fleet of F-16 fighter aircraft, a deal valued at up to $259 million.
August 14, 2020 | International, Aerospace
Bradley Perrett Does engine technology in commercial airliners translate to Chinese military aircraft as well? Beijing Bureau Chief Bradley Perrett answers: It does, but only as far as China can apply it. However, Western engines for Chinese commercial aircraft programs are supplied complete. CFM International proposed to assemble the Leap 1C in China for the Comac C919, but the deal was scuppered when the authorities demanded more technical information about the design. Unavoidably, something about propulsion technology is learned when a Chinese airframe company works with a foreign engine company on integrating their products. The engine itself cannot be kept secret: China can strip down and examine any powerplants imported for commercial use, including, for example, the latest Rolls-Royce Trent XWBs on Airbus A350s. Whatever is learned about high-bypass turbofans can go into Chinese programs for such engines in military use—and indeed for civil use, subject to patents. Technology from the core is relevant to low-bypass engines. https://aviationweek.com/aerospace/manufacturing-supply-chain/does-commercial-engine-tech-translate-chinese-military
November 8, 2019 | International, Aerospace
BySommer Brokaw Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Lockheed Martin has been awarded $184.5 million repair capabilities on a production lot of F-35 aircraft operated by the Pentagon and other non-Department of Defense program participants. The contract, announced Wednesday by the Department of Defense, tasks Lockheed with establishing organic depot level repair capabilities for the F-35 aircraft under a previously awarded low-rate initial production Lot 11 contract. The work, to support the Air Force, Marine Corps, Navy and non-DoD participants, is expected to be complete by March 2023. Half of the work will be done in Fort Worth, Texas, where Lockheed is headquartered, with the rest at locations across the United States. Among the aircraft systems and parts the company will be working on are common components, conventional controls, surfaces and edges, electrical/mechanical activation, firewall shutoff valve, radar, wing flap actuator system, hydraulic power generation system, arresting gear, standby flight display, fuel system fan, alternating current contractor module and rudder pedals, according to a Pentagon press release. The F-35 aircraft uses advanced sensors "packaged within a supersonic, long-range, highly maneuverable fighter," according to Lockheed Martin, which allows the stealthy fifth generation aircraft to serve simultaneously in attack and intelligence-gathering roles. Last month, the Pentagon and Lockheed Martin reached a $34 billion deal for 478 F-35s as the price per aircraft dropped. A Lockheed Martin statement noted the deal lowered the cost of an F-35-A, the U.S. Army's variant of the aircraft, below $80 million, in Lot 13 and Lot 14, representing a 12.8 percent reduction from Lot 11 costs, and an average of 12.7 percent savings across all of the combat aircraft's variants from Lots 11 to 14. https://www.upi.com/Defense-News/2019/11/07/Lockheed-nets-1845M-for-organic-depot-level-repairs-on-F-35s/9821573147758/