Michael Marrow covers air warfare for Breaking Defense. He holds a BA in history from the University of Virginia and started out as a freelance reporter covering local news in Fairfax County, Virginia and policing in Charlottesville, Virginia. Michael previously reported on the Air Force and Space Force for Inside Defense, where he tracked major acquisitions, policy changes and modernization efforts.
A global ecosystem that shares space situational awareness data can secure a safe future for space, but much greater international coordination is needed, according to a new document from the Office of Space Commerce.
The desire for technical data rights “is one of those areas where industry and government have been at odds for a long time. And certainly Boeing on F-18 and the Navy as well,” Boeing fighters VP Mark Sears told Breaking Defense. “So being able to put that on a path to final resolution … is a really positive step.”
Older F-35 stealth fighters were slated to start getting the Technology Refresh 3 upgrade this month, but the Pentagon has postponed the retrofit plan to an unspecified date.
Discussing Israel’s protections for civilians in its bombing campaign of Gaza, Air Force Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich said that after observing an Israeli strike cell in late 2023, Jerusalem’s forces were “making a bona fide effort to adhere to the law of armed conflict.”
An official with prime contractor Northrop Grumman defended the beleaguered program, and said, “looking for that blame, I think, is hard because it really was just an immense challenge.”
The upgrade will “increase the air surveillance capability for the system. This effort will further enhance the air surveillance mission software capabilities,” an Air Force spokesperson told Breaking Defense.
No aircraft were featured on the Air Force’s unfunded priorities list submitted to lawmakers today despite a decision to cut back on fighter procurement in FY25.
After rancorous debate, a new engine for the stealth fighter was already in doubt, but legislation released by congressional appropriators today seemingly puts the issue to rest.
The bipartisan spending package, released early this morning, increases defense funding by $27 billion over the previous year’s enacted budget and includes a number of key provisions the department had requested.
The test’s results could determine the ultimate fate of the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon, or at least help “further a range of hypersonic programs.”
Both plans would shrink the fleet to 280 ships by fiscal 2027, then grow them back from there to a high of 387 ships if one of the options is followed.
DoD uses FAR Part 12 acquisitions to save hundreds of millions of dollars in “of a type” systems like civil landing systems with applicability to military aircraft.
DoD uses FAR Part 12 acquisitions to save hundreds of millions of dollars in “of a type” systems like civil landing systems with applicability to military aircraft.
