February 19, 2024 | International, C4ISR
US, Singapore air forces to team up at vital Pacific base in Guam
The Singapore Airshow is set to begin amid efforts by the city state to train its air-warfare capabilities at home and in faraway locales.
August 14, 2019 | International, Aerospace
Update: F-35 test fleet struggles with low readiness rates as key deadline approaches
Pat Host, Washington, DC
Key Points
The F-35 programme's test fleet has a fully mission-capable rating that is roughly 10% of its goal
This could make it difficult for the Pentagon to make an educated decision on whether to enter full-rate production
The Pentagon's Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) test fleet has a fully mission-capable rate of 8.7% compared with an 80% goal, causing one watchdog to question whether the programme can accomplish all of its initial operational test and evaluation (IOT&E) test points before the phase ends.
Dan Grazier, military fellow with the Project on Government Oversight (POGO) watchdog group in Washington, DC, said the Pentagon plans to make its full-rate production (FRP) decision by the rapidly approaching end of fiscal year 2019 (FY 2019) or early FY 2020. The fiscal year changes on 1 October. If the F-35 programme cannot accomplish all its IOT&E test points by this deadline, Grazier said the Pentagon cannot make an informed decision on FRP.
The FY 2016 Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) report called for an 80% availability rate to conduct an efficient IOT&E and support sustained combat operations. According to an F-35 programme briefing slide provided by POGO and dated 19 July 2019, the 8.7% rate is an improvement from 4.7% in May.
On the same subject
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July 29, 2024 | International, Land, Security
‘Not prepared’: Congressional panel calls for huge defense buildup
A group of experts tasked to review America's defense strategy argued the U.S. isn't ready for threats from China and Russia.
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September 5, 2019 | International, Aerospace
PZL Mielec Displays Single-Station Stores Pylon For Armed Black Hawk
KIELCE, Poland, Sept. 4, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- During the MSPO International Defence Industry Exhibition, PZL Mielec, a Lockheed Martin company (NYSE: LMT) displayed an S-70i™ Armed Black Hawk® helicopter fitted with a single-station external stores pylon. Designed at PZL Mielec as a lighter weight, lower cost alternative to currently fielded dual-station external wings, a single-station pylon attached to one or both sides of the aircraft will be compatible with the advanced weapon system that allows Black Hawk pilot gunners to support battlefield operations using forward firing guns, rockets and air-to-ground missiles. "We're developing the single-station pylon in response to requests by militaries across Europe, Latin America and Asia for a battlefield support helicopter that can be armed for different types of missions that may not always need four weapons stations," said Janusz Zakręcki, president, general director of PZL Mielec. "Operators can arm the aircraft for suppressive fire, surveillance, armed reconnaissance, armed escort and air assault missions, and still carry out other utility roles whenever pylons and stores must remain on the aircraft." At a quarter the cost and weight of a dual-station wing, a pylon can be removed or attached by two people in 15 minutes, produces less drag during flight, offers a wider field of fire to window or door gunners, and opens more space to hoist a litter into the aircraft while in a hover. For large targets, a pylon will be able to carry HELLFIRE™ or Spike air-to-ground missile launchers. A pylon also can extend aircraft range with an 80-gallon external fuel tank. As a complementary option for the S-70i / S-70M Armed Black Hawk with dual-station wings, the single station pylon will integrate with the aircraft's weapons management system that calculates the range and complex ballistics required for pilot gunners to engage targets with high accuracy and reliability from stand-off distances during day and night operations. PZL Mielec expects to begin airworthiness flight testing of the prototype pylon design in 2020. About Lockheed Martin Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that employs approximately 105,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. https://news.lockheedmartin.com/2019-09-04-PZL-Mielec-Displays-Single-Station-Stores-Pylon-for-Armed-Black-Hawk