Lockheed meets 2017’s F-35 delivery schedule | CRL-equipped B-52 drops record JDAMS in one sortie | Leonardo tests Sidewinder AAM from M-346

by Padraig McCarrick | Dec 19, 2017 | Daily Rapid Fire

Americas * Lockheed Martin announced Monday that is has met the US government’s target for the year of delivering 66 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft to the US military and allied partners. The deliveries account for a 40 percent increase on ones made in 2016,...

Pentagon announces arms packages for Lebanon | Germany kicks off heavy-lift helo comp | Myanmar inducts Yaks into service

by Padraig McCarrick | Dec 18, 2017 | Daily Rapid Fire

Americas * United Technologies Corp. will perform sustainment services on Pratt and Whitney F-119 engines used on Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor. The $6.7 billion agreement falls under the terms of an indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract between the...

Colombia considers second-hand Eurofighters | Raytheon completes SBD-II Lot 1 production | Martin Baker to provide ejector seats for Taiwanese AJT

by Padraig McCarrick | Dec 15, 2017 | Daily Rapid Fire

Americas * According to a story originally reported in the Spanish-language news website, Defensa, the Colombian Air Force is currently evaluating a series of options that will boost its fighter-interceptor fleet capabilities. The main option involves procuring about...

Canada wants “trusted partner” for CF-18 successor, Boeing on the outside | Draken Intl adds SA Cheetahs for Red Air | Ukraine to test new radar

by Padraig McCarrick | Dec 14, 2017 | Daily Rapid Fire

Americas * A news conference held by the Canadian government on Tuesday made clear that Boeing would not be supplying them with 18 F/A-18 Super Hornets—they will instead buy second-hand from Australia in a deal worth $388 million—and warned the US airframer that it...

German MoD favor the Eurofighter, Luftwaffe the F-35 | Bulgaria orders MiG overhaul as replacement effort stalls | Second JF-17B begins flight tests

by Padraig McCarrick | Dec 13, 2017 | Daily Rapid Fire

Americas * A report released Monday by the Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector General into the US Navy’s Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program has found that the service did not effectively develop and manage electronic warfare capabilities for...